Shadows of a Slytherin
by Mrs. Vega
Summary: Book 3 of my Son of the Dark Lord Series.  Harry's in his third year, and things are really changing now.  Rated T just in case.
1. Disappointed Hopes

**So, here it is. The much anticipated (I hope) 3rd book in my Son of the Dark Lord series: Shadows of a Slytherin. Hope you like it. Thanks to everyone who helped, and a special thanks to DZ2 who came up with the title for this story.**

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Chapter 1: Disappointed Hopes

It was nearly midnight, and Harry was lying on his stomach in bed, the blankets drawn right up over his head like a tent. He had his wand illuminated, and was looking over clippings from the Daily Prophet. It was almost his birthday, but no one had mentioned a word. He had hoped, after last year, that he might get to do something special again. Last year had been such a nice change from his childhood when the muggles had completely ignored him.

Harry supposed he shouldn't be greedy. He did have a very nice birthday last year. But, then again, he would only turn thirteen once. Harry glanced back down at the Daily Prophet clips. With everything that had been happening, it was no surprise that everyone had forgotten about his birthday. Harry's eyes travelled over the clippings again. Under a picture of a particularly angry-looking Dumbledore was the headline.

_**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE ISSUED OFFICIAL WARNING!**_

_Yesterday morning Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was issued an official warning of behavioral misconduct from the Minister of Magic and the Board of Governors. During the past school year, Salazar Slytherin's legendary beast, supposedly hidden deep under the school within the Chamber of Secrets, terrorized Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore did nothing to halt the attacks, nor did he provide the parents of Hogwarts students notice that this was occurring. _

_A total of four attacks throughout the year resulted in two petrified students, a petrified cat, a petrified ghost, and two students were even taken down into the Chamber itself. However, not one parent was notified. This reporter spoke to Mr. Finch-Fletchley about his son's attack:_

"_I was never notified of any danger to the students, nor was I informed that my son was petrified for over half the school year. I was merely told he would be staying during the Christmas Holidays. When I inquired as to the reason, and attempted to reach him via owl, the owls were returned to me. I lodged several complaints with the Board of Governors, and am glad someone has finally done something about this."_

_It is amazing that after such a troubled year, Headmaster Dumbledore has only been issued a warning. This reporter wonders what will be necessary to (ctd. page 4, column 1)_

That particular clipping was from the July 1st prophet. Harry remembered how elated his family had been over the direct hit to Dumbledore's credibility and reputation. The article had generated an outraged response from the parents of students who hadn't mentioned the attacks. No parent wanted to send their child to an unsafe school. The second clipping was more personally satisfying to Harry, however.

_**Gilderoy Lockhart GUILTY!**_

_Gilderoy Lockhart, author of countless books, has, as of this morning, been stripped of all awards and accolades and is spending time in Azkaban for repeatedly Obliviating witches and wizards and taking credit for their work. Lockhart was arrested Tuesday morning after none other than Mr. Harry Potter (also known as the Boy-Who-Lived), revealed that Gilderoy Lockhart's entire literary career has been built on lies and thievery. _

_On behalf of Mr. Potter, Lord Lucius Malfoy registered an official complaint with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement early Monday morning. Several memories were submitted in which Lockhart not only admits to his lies and illegal use of the Memory Modification Charm, but also attempts to use the charm on Mr. Potter and Mr. Draco Malfoy, son to Lucius. The two boys were able to stun Lockhart before he was able to successfully cast the charm, but it was a close call. _

_Lockhart's trial was conducted yesterday by the entire Wizengamot, during which both Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy provided evidence. Lockhart was found guilty of all counts and sentenced to ten years in Azkaban. Of course, with such information coming to light, this reporter wonders why he was hired by Albus Dumbledore to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Surely Dumbledore would have researched Lockhart's background before hiring him? Such a search would most definitely have revealed these unsavory dealings. Perhaps Dumbledore is (ctd. page 3 column 2)_

As Harry finished re-reading the second clipping, he was startled by a tapping noise. Throwing off his blankets, he saw an owl at his window. Harry ran over to let it in, and relieved it of its burden. As the owl was about to take off, Harry spoke to it.

"Don't leave yet, rest a while." He quickly got out some owl treats and offered them to the bird. "You can have some of Hedwig's water as well, if you'd like." The owl hooted happily and gulped down some of the offered water. It wasn't often he met such a caring human. As the owl was resting, Harry turned back to the parcel it had carried. It was a birthday gift from Hermione.

"At least someone remembered." Harry opened the parcel and found a card, a letter, and a wrapped gift. He opened the card first and read:

_Dear Harry,_

_I'm on holiday in France at the moment and sent this from La Rue Magique. I was able to rent an owl (isn't he gorgeous?). I bought your present by owl-order: there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world). Did you see about Dumbledore and Lockhart?_

_There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out. I hope it's not too long. It's two rolls of parchment more than required._

_I'll be in London in the last week of holidays. Do you think you and Draco can come as well? I'll send another letter to him, but I thought I'd ask you both. I really hope you can come. If not, I'll see you both on the Hogwarts Express on September first!_

_Hugs from Hermione_

Harry laughed as he put Hermione's letter aside and picked up her present. It was very heavy. Knowing Hermione, he was sure it would be a large book full of very difficult spells – but it wasn't. His heart gave a huge bound as he ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading _Broomstick Servicing Kit_.

"Wow, Mia!" Harry whispered, unzipping the case to look inside.

There was a large jar of Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, a pair of gleaming silver Tail-Twig Clippers, a tiny brass compass to clip on your broom for long journeys, and a copy of the book Draco had bought last year, _Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare_. Before Harry had much time to ponder the gift, two more owls flew through the still open window. He instantly recognized Luna's owl.

"Hello Neith. You're looking lovely. May I relieve you of your burden?" Neith hooted softly and buried her head under her wing. She was often shy around Harry. However, she held out her leg when he approached, and he untied the small parcel. He offered her treats and water, which she gladly partook of, before flying back out into the night.

Harry didn't recognize the third owl, but knew at one where it had come from. In addition to carrying a parcel wrapped in brown paper, it bore a letter with the Hogwarts crest.

"I know where you're from. It's no wonder you look regal. Would you like a treat as well?" The owl hooted in affirmation as Harry untied its parcel, then ate the treat before flying off. "I guess it didn't want water." Harry shrugged then turned back to the parcels. He could have sworn that the brown parcel was shaking slightly. Ignoring it for now he opened the parcel Luna had sent. He stared in confusion at the Snitch and the little leather band before reading the letter that had accompanied them.

_Happy Birthday Harry!_

_I'm certain I'll be seeing you later today at some point, but I wanted this to get to you at midnight. I really hope dear Neith didn't wake you. I had a hunch you would stay up to welcome in your birthday, so hopefully I'm right. _

_I saw this at the store a few weeks ago and knew it was perfect for your Quidditch practices. It's a training Snitch. You put the band on your wand and release the Snitch. It will act like a regular Snitch, zooming around the pitch either until you catch it or touch the leather band. When you touch the band, the Snitch will return to you, instantly. I thought it would be useful on occasions when your practice ends early, or the Snitch hasn't shown itself for a while. Also, this Snitch doesn't have a flesh memory, so anyone can use it._

_I look forward to seeing you soon, Harry._

_Your Friend,_

_Luna Lovegood_

Harry grinned at his gift before placing the band on his wand. It was a great gift. As soon as the band was settled, it magically altered to better blend in with his wand. He would have to make sure to thank Luna properly for this gift. He turned to his final gift. Oddly enough, it was from Hagrid. Harry didn't feel that he was close enough to the groundskeeper to warrant a gift, but obviously Hagrid thought otherwise.

Not willing to turn away a gift when he had had so few in his life, Harry tore off the top layer of paper and glimpsed something green and leathery, but before he could unwrap it properly, the parcel gave a strange quiver, and whatever was inside it snapped loudly – as if it had jaws.

Harry froze. He didn't think that Hagrid would send him anything dangerous on purpose, but then, he had no way of knowing for sure. He set the parcel on his desk and placed a few large books on top of it to weight it down before running to Draco's room.

Harry was surprised to see light coming from under the door, so he knocked lightly. Moments later, Draco pulled open the door with a grin.

"Did you get Mia's letter?" He held up the letter he was holding before noticing the look on Harry's face. "Harry, what's wrong?"

"I got an odd gift from Hagrid, can you help me with it?"

"Why did that oaf send you a gift?"

"No idea, but I swear it tried to bite me. Can you help me open it to see what it is?"

"Sure, but let me get my wand." Draco retrieved his wand and followed Harry back into his room. Hagrid's present was now rattling on the desk, desperately trying to throw off the books. Draco gasped.

"What is it?"

"Don't know, do I? I'm going to free it, then, maybe together, we can subdue it. If not, I'll go get my Father."

"Good idea. On three then?"

"Sounds good." Harry ran to the desk and looked to Draco. "One…Two…THREE!" Harry shoved the books off of the gift just as it rattled again, causing it to fall out of its wrapper on to the floor. It was a book. Harry had just enough time to register its handsome green cover, emblazoned with the golden title _The Monster Book of Monsters_, before it flipped onto its edge and scuttled sideways along the floor like some weird crab.

"Harry, did your book just walk across the floor?" Unable to say anything, Harry just nodded. He had no idea how they were going to attack a book. "Hey, maybe Dobby can take care of it! Dobby!" It took a couple of seconds before Dobby appeared with a POP!, wiping his eyes sleepily.

"Master Malfoy called for…YAWN…Dobby."

"Yes, I'm sorry to wake you, Dobby, but we need help. Can you capture the book Harry was sent?" Draco pointed to the book that was just coming out from under the bed. Dobby nodded and snapped his fingers. The book was levitated into the air, and appeared to be bound, as it was struggling.

"Dobby suggests binding it with a belt until Master Harry can open it."

Harry pulled a belt out of his closet and did as Dobby suggested. "Thanks, Dobby. Please, go back to sleep, we're really sorry we woke you."

"Dobby is always happy to serve the young masters." With a quick bow, Dobby popped away. With the Monster Book safely stowed away, Harry turned back to Draco.

"So, what are you doing still up?"

"Mia sent me a letter, look." He shoved the letter under Harry's nose. After focusing on it for a moment, Harry snorted.

"My Dearest Dray?" Draco blushed and pulled the letter back.

"I think I should read it to you." Draco skipped over a few paragraphs and read out:

_Since Professor Snape was kind enough to arrange for us to travel by Floo, I was provided with a pamphlet on underage magic when we arrived in France. Their policies make much more sense than ours. I'm allowed to use magic, as long as I don't do so in the obvious presence of Muggles. It's been really helpful. When we all went shopping, I carefully shrunk the packages to make everything more manageable. I've also used magic to clean up a little bit, and my father loves that I can help him shave. Don't you wish you could do that on a regular basis? I know I do._

"She said a bit more, but it really got me thinking. We can do magic whenever we want at home. I'll have to ask my father why Mia can't. I don't understand at all."

"Good point. It certainly doesn't seem fair that we can do magic and she can't. I really glad that she gets to practice this summer." Draco yawned loudly, causing Harry to laugh. "Perhaps we'd best get to sleep."

Draco nodded. "I'll see you in the morning, Harry. And Happy 13th birthday." Harry started, then turned to look at the clock. It was 12:30. He had been thirteen for half an hour without realizing it.

"Thanks, Draco. Good night." Harry went to sleep glad that his birthday hadn't been forgotten by everyone.


	2. Expect the Unexpected

**Hi Everyone! Sorry for the wait. Life has been hectic lately. I don't know when things will slow down, and, since I'm working on several stories simultaneously, updates will be erratic. Hopefully this nice, long chapter will make up for the wait. Hope you'll stick with me through the unpredictable updates. I would also like to point out that despite their familial relationship in canon, I have consciously made the decision to make Sirius Harry's uncle. Ok, enough from me. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 2: Expect the Unexpected

The next morning, Harry woke feeling excited, although he was almost positive his parents and aunt and uncle had forgotten his birthday. Still, he dressed in his nicest day robes and tried to do something with his hair before he went downstairs. The entire family was in the sitting room angrily discussing the contents of the _Daily Prophet_. They didn't even notice when Harry walked in.

"Good morning, everyone. What's wrong this time?"

"Oh! Harry, goodness. Well, you see…" His mother's sentence trailed off, and she looked to Tom for support.

"Your mother's brother has escaped from Azkaban." Tom misinterpreted Harry's blank look. "Azkaban is the only wizarding prison. No one has ever escaped before."

As Harry tried to process this information, a major question came to mind. "Mother, Aunt Cissy, you have a brother?"

"We had two, actually, Sirius and Regulus, but Regulus died years ago, and Sirius betrayed us and was sent to Azkaban."

"Aunt Cissy, what do you mean? How could your own brother betray you?" Narcissa and Bellatrix gave each other long looks before sighing.

"We had best tell you the story as we know it, Harry, although a part is only speculation." Harry nodded at his mother, who told the story in a somewhat deadened voice that scared Harry a little. "Well, as Cissy said, we are not the only children in our family. We had one other sister, by the name of Andromeda, although she is not important to this story. We also had a younger brother named Regulus, and an older brother named Sirius. We were all the best of friends growing up, but Hogwarts changed that. Sirius was the first to go. He was sorted into Gryffindor, the first in the entire direct line of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black to be so. As you know, the Sorting Hat will, to some degree, take your wishes into consideration, however, Sirius didn't even try to be sorted into Slytherin, he meekly accepted the Sorting Hat's first choice. We were all incredibly disappointed in him, but were willing to see how things turned out. Unfortunately, he soon fell in with the staunchest of Dumbledore supporters: Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter." Harry was surprised to hear that name. Bellatrix noticed his change in attitude.

"Yes, Harry, James Potter, the man who helped steal you from us. I entered Hogwarts the following year, and by then the little band of Gryffindors Sirius was a part of were known as the Marauders." This too, struck a chord with Harry, who thought of the map hidden in his trunk upstairs. Luckily, his mother didn't notice his reaction this time and continued. "He stuck with that group all through Hogwarts, and I didn't see him much. He was disowned by his fourth year, and went to live with the Potters. He tried to reconcile with the family after he graduated. He said he didn't know what they all supported, and wanted out, but none of us could believe that he made it through seven years, three of which he was actually living with one of them, without knowing what they stood for." Bellatrix paused for a moment, and Harry could tell that she was rather red in the face. He wondered what was coming next.

"After father died, Sirius tried to win over mother, but she was even more skeptical than the rest of us. She firmly believed that his attempts at reconciliation were actually instigated by Dumbledore in an attempt to have a spy in our midst. I had no idea how correct she was." Bella stopped and took a deep breath, but seemed unable to continue. Tom put his arm around her and continued the story in her place.

"About a year after you were born, Harry, Sirius came to visit your mother, presumably to seek a reconciliation once again. However, on that particular visit, Dottie, not realizing Sirius was there, brought you to us while we were in Sirius' presence. Sirius was always smart, and was able to immediately discern who you were. We immediately forced him to leave, and were preparing to leave the next morning. However, Dumbledore came for you first." Harry saw that his mother had unshed tears in her eyes. He could understand how difficult this was for her. His own throat felt a little tight.

"That night, Dumbledore snuck in, we still aren't sure how, and managed to grab you without the wards detecting his presence. We never even would have known he was there if it weren't for the wards surrounding your crib. We placed undetectable weight detection alarms on your mattress, so the moment you were picked up we were alerted. We spotted Dumbledore dashing through the gates and the flash as his phoenix transported him. We knew we had lost you at that point." Tom had to pause for a deep breath. "We knew that Sirius must have been a spy as Bella's mother believed. Otherwise, how could Dumbledore have possibly known where you were?" Lucius saw that Tom was nearly overcome with grief, and decided to finish the story.

"A few days later, we received an anonymous note with your whereabouts. At first, we believed that it may have come from Peter Pettigrew, who we had managed to turn to our side, but the writing wasn't correct. We also considered it may have come from your godfather, Severus as he had been employed at Hogwarts for the past year acting as a double agent on our behalf. In any case, armed with this knowledge, your father set off to rescue you. He didn't want to take anyone else with him, in case they panicked and Apparated you away. As you probably know, when he arrived, he discovered it was a trap. Dumbledore appeared and attempted to kill him. Thankfully, Tom had safeguarded against that. Still, once again, you were lost to us. As you know, it took us ten years to finally find you, and that, only by your attending Hogwarts."

Harry gazed at his parents and aunt and uncle. They were all so saddened by the story, he didn't want it to continue, especially on his birthday, but there was one thing that didn't make much sense. "How did he end up in Azkaban?"

Lucius cleared his throat. He knew he'd be the only one able to continue. "Well, Peter Pettigrew, who, as I mentioned, had become a spy for our side, decided to confront Sirius. The well-known version of the story is that he accused Sirius of betraying the Potters to us. However, that was obviously a lie given out by Dumbledore. What actually happened was that he accused him of helping destroy you, Harry, and our family. Unfortunately, Peter was never a good one for dueling. He was much more suited to spying. Sirius blasted him with a curse that hit a Muggle gas pipe, blowing the street, Peter, and 13 Muggles to bits. It is said that when Aurors arrived a few minutes later, Sirius was standing in the same spot, simply laughing. He was sentenced to Azkaban without even a trial, based on evidence given by Dumbledore. Although this evidence was evidently false, none of us intervened, considering what he had done. He had helped in your kidnapping, he'd sent that note which was obviously to lure Tom into a trap, and he killed one of our allies. We saw no reason to lift a finger for him."

Harry felt anger building inside of him. Once again, his family was awed by the crackle of magic emanating from the young boy. It had obviously grown stronger since the year before. Harry grabbed the daily prophet and stared at the front page. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair blinked slowly at Harry from the front page. Harry could see the family resemblance, but only slightly. His eyes wandered to the article.

_BLACK STILL AT LARGE_

_Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today. _

"_We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."_

_Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis. _

"_Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it – who'd believe him if he did?"_

_While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse._

Harry's anger bubbled up even more. In an effort to control the magic swirling around him, Harry quickly leafed through the newspaper to find something to take his mind off of all this. He finally found just what he needed on the last page. Harry scanned the moving photograph, and a wicked grin spread across his face as he saw all nine of the Weasleys waving furiously, standing in front of a large pyramid. There was fat Mrs. Weasley; balding Mr. Weasley; six sons; and one daughter, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair and wearing shabby robes. Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with a rat on his shoulder and his arm around his stupid little sister. Harry wondered if Weasley even realized there was a rat on his shoulder or if that was just a typical occurrence for him. He quickly read the article.

_(Re-print) MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE _

_As previously mentioned, Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw. _

_A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank." The Daily Prophet followed the Weasleys on their trip to get a photograph of the entire family, as our previous photo only showed the five youngest children._

_The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend._

"Merlin, the Weasleys are stupid. They win a pile of money, then, even though they can't afford to get their children proper clothes or books, they spend it all on a family vacation." This news perked up his family.

"Did they really, dearest?" asked his mother. "I always knew they had no sense. It's a shame Molly didn't get any of the Black family brains."

"Mrs. Weasely was a Black?"

"No, dearest, but her mother was, before she married into the Prewett family. Why they ever let her marry that scum is beyond me." The photograph was passed around and everyone had a good laugh. Even Draco had a look, once he finally entered the sitting room. Harry was happy to have lightened the somber mood of his family. Before they could even call for breakfast, Dottie appeared before Bella.

"Minister Fudge is at the door for you, Mistress Bella." This announcement sent the family into a flurry of movement. Tom seemed to vanish from the room as Bella stood and smoothed her robes.

"You all stay here, I'll see what the blasted man wants." She left, returning a few minutes later with Minister Fudge behind her.

He bowed apologetically. "I _am_ sorry to bother you today of all days, but I need to speak with Mr. Potter. Is there someplace we might speak privately?" Despite everyone's hatred of that name, Bella had Dottie lead Harry and Fudge to the small parlor on the other side of the house. They walked in silence, and Fudge waited until Dottie was out of sight before speaking.

"Mr. Potter, it is a pleasure to meet you. As I said, I'm terribly sorry to bother you on your birthday, however, certain events must be taken into account."

"Are you referring to Sirius Black's escape?"

"Yes, yes indeed. You see, as brother to Mrs. Riddle and Mrs. Malfoy, we have reason to believe he may visit them, and we wish to ensure you are safe. Is there anywhere else you may visit for the summer? Perhaps your relatives…" Fudge trailed off at the look on Harry's face.

"Minister, I will never willingly set foot in _that _house again. As far as I am concerned, they are no family of mine. As for Mr. Black coming here, I find it incredibly unlikely, considering that he was disowned by the Black family. If he does happen to come by, I can assure you that my friends here will keep me safe. They are family to me."

"Then you are happy here?"

"Completely."

"Very well then, Mr. Potter. I am satisfied as to your safety. If you need anything at all, do not hesitate to send me an owl."

"Of course, Minister. Thank you for your kind concern. Shall I have Dottie escort you out?"

"Actually, I need to speak with Mrs. Riddle and Mrs. Malfoy."

"Very well, Minister, allow me to lead you back to the sitting room." Once they were in the sitting room, Draco escorted Harry back up to his room.

"Harry, what other gifts did you get last night?"

"Well, Mia sent me a broomstick servicing kit. I was surprised. At first I was sure it would be a giant book. Luna sent me a training Snitch."

"A what?"

"A training Snitch. It came with this little leather band to put on my wand. When I touch the band, the Snitch will come zooming right back to me. It should be great for practice or pickup games, and apparently it can be used by anyone."

"Sounds cool. Well, I need to change out of my pajamas, give me a moment, then we can head outside."

"Alright, Draco." About ten minutes later, Draco emerged from his room with a large grin on his face.

"Ok, you ready?"

"Ready for what, Draco?"

"Well, it _is_ your birthday."

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm sure everyone's forgotten in all of the excitement lately, especially with Uncle Sirius escaping from Aza…Askaz…?"

"Azkaban, and it's not _uncle_, he's Sirius Black, betrayer and mass murderer. Dobby?"

Dobby appeared with a soft POP! "Master Draco called?"

"Is everything ready?"

"Of course, we are waiting for you and Master Harry."

"Come on, Harry." Draco raced down the stairs and Harry followed him, wondering what was going on. He had suspicions, but he didn't want to get his hopes up. He followed Draco through the house and out to the back patio, where he stopped dead.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!" Everyone was standing out on the lawn, including his parents, aunt and uncle, Luna, and most of Slytherin house. Tom and Bella rushed forward to meet their son.

Harry spoke quietly to make sure no one else heard. "Mother, Father, I can't believe you remembered. Thank you."

"Of course we remembered. How could we not? Now, run along and enjoy your party." Harry did so, excitedly flitting between his friends until he found Luna. He gave her a large hug.

"Thanks so much for your present Luna, it was great."

"Neith didn't wake you, did she?"

"No, you were right, I was awake."

"Oh, I'm so glad. I missed you, Harry."

"I missed you too, Luna. But we're both here, together, so let's go have fun." Dobby and Dottie took it upon themselves to see that Harry had everything he wanted. Luna immediately noticed the change in the elves that Harry had missed.

"Dobby, Dottie, you language and grammar are much improved. Have you been taking lessons?"

"Yes, Mistress Luna. Master Lucius and Mistress Cissy have been giving us lessons every day. We are very excited and have been working hard," answered Dobby.

"Well, it shows. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Mistress Luna." Dottie was blushing, making Harry smile. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed the improvement. Quickly, however, this revelation was pushed to the back of his mind as he and Luna wandered around the backyard. They had fun watching the "Muggle-style" magician who was pulling a rabbit out of a hat, and making cards appear and disappear. They also had lots of fun with the Galleon hunt.

Galleons were hidden all over the yard, and the children were all gathered together, before being directed to go searching for the Galleons. They were admonished not to use magic to summon them as the Galleons had been charmed not to respond to magic. Harry, used to muggle methods, was able to find 100 Galleons. Many of his friends manage to scrape together between 25 and 30 Galleons. Draco managed to find 50. Luna, however, did best. She found 125 Galleons. When Harry asked her how she had found so many, she giggled and told him it was her secret.

Once the Galleon hunt was done, the children were called back toward the house as Dobby and Dottie levitated out an enormous cake. It was in the shape of a large green snake with silver accents to represent Slytherin house. Everyone cheered at the amazing cake.

"Dobby, Dottie, this is amazing. Did you make it?"

"Yes, Master Harry, we made the cake for you."

"Thanks, both of you, it's amazing!" The elves were practically bouncing up and down in glee. They served everyone some cake, and several of the children came back for seconds. Harry sat on the back patio eating his cake, thinking the day couldn't possibly get any better.

"Are you enjoying your birthday, Harry?" asked Luna, who was sitting next to him.

"Of course, it's the best birthday ever. I don't see how it could possibly get any better."

"Well, you still have to open your presents."

"Presents?"

"Of course, right over there." She pointed to a table loaded with gifts. Harry couldn't believe his eyes. There were more gifts on the table than even Dudley typically got for a birthday. Luna was saddened by the look of wonder on his face. Obviously he hadn't had many presents in his life. She wanted to help change that.

With a quick, sly look at Draco, she started a chant. "Pre-sents! Pre-sents! Pre-sents!" Slowly, the other children took up the chant. Bella, Tom, Lucius, and Narcissa stepped forward, and, laughing, escorted Harry to the present table. Everyone started cheering as Harry took the first present. He unwrapped his presents slowly, reverently, as each one was special to him. From his friends and classmates he received candy, books, scarves, gloves, and some really interesting bottles of ink. Draco gave Harry a pair of Dragonhide boots. Vince gave him a book titled _Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland._ Greg gave him an amusing pair of color-changing earmuffs. They changed to suit the wearer's mood.

Bella whispered in Harry's ear that the family gifts would be given once the party was over. Eager to see what his family had given him, Harry did no attempt to prolong his birthday party past the socially acceptable hour of 4:00pm. Harry bid Luna a tender good-bye before she took the Floo back home.

By 4:30, he was in the sitting room, surrounded by his family and his final gifts. He was surprised by the entrance of none other than Professor Quirrell. He had assumed something had happened to him after Tom had been reborn.

"Professor, it is so nice to see you. I had thought…" Harry trailed off.

Professor Quirrell laughed. "Not at all, Harry. I was merely wanted by the Ministry, so I traveled abroad for a while to lay low." He quickly pulled a wrapped package from his cloak. "As you are now 13, allow me to present you with this."

Harry took the gift and opened it. It was a book of Dark magic. "Professor, why would I need this?"

"Despite the belief that is practiced and enforced at Hogwarts, it is very necessary for witches and wizards to have a solid understanding of the Dark Arts. This allows you to combat darker spells, and, in certain situations, use some yourself. Now, many witches and wizards are uncomfortable actually using so called "Dark" spells, and I had a feeling you would feel the same way." Harry nodded. "This book will give you a solid understanding of Dark Spells, although it does not teach you any. Rather, it teaches you how to adapt common, everyday spells to different situations. You would be amazed what can be done with a simply _scourgify_."

Harry's eyes widened in understanding. He looked back down at the book with wonder. "Thank you, Professor. By what did you mean about my now being 13?"

"13 is the age when Pureblood families have typically started augmenting a young witch or wizard's Hogwarts education. By this age you've learned the simple spells, and are usually able to pick up spells rather quickly. This supplemental education is typically done during holidays and is mainly to fill in gaps and to teach spells unique to the family."

Professor Quirrell's words reminded Harry of Hermione's letter. "Mother, Father, I'd like to speak to you about that more later. Would you help me remember to bring it up?"

"Of course, Harry. Now, open your other gifts." Harry did as his mother suggested. He opened his gift from his aunt and uncle first. He couldn't believe his eyes. It took him a least half a minute to register that his gift really was what he thought it was.

"A…a Pensieve? Really?"

The adults chuckled at his reaction. "Of course it's for you, Harry."

"Thanks Aunt Cissy, Uncle Luke. This is great!"

"You're very welcome, Harry." Harry reached for his last gift, knowing it was from his parents. He was completely unprepared, however, for what the wrapping contained. He pulled off the paper and saw dozens of little bottles arranged in a little caddy, like potions ingredients. Confused, he picked up a bottle and read the label.

_First word._ He suddenly understood. He picked up the next bottle. _First steps._ He randomly picked up another. _Day of Birth_. He looked up at his parents. The look of wonder on his face said more than any words could. Unsure exactly what to do or say, he simply stood and stumbled over to them and gave them a heartfelt hug. Bella blinked quickly to keep the tears from his eyes. Draco looked away, feeling as though he was intruding on a very personal moment.

When Harry was certain he wouldn't cry, he ended the hug and looked to both of his parents. "Thank you." The words came out as no more than a whisper, but the emotion behind them said it all.

"You're very welcome, son."

"Can I…can we watch them now?"

"We can in a minute, I have one last gift for you. Follow me, Harry." Harry followed his mother out of the family sitting room, down several hallways, and into Aunt Cissy's private sitting room. Bella flicked her wand, and a tall rectangular object with a sheet over it came floating towards them. "I know you have been wanting to have that dreadful spell removed, and we have, as yet, been unable to do so without risking your father's life. However, I thought you might like a good look at your true self." She pulled the sheet away, and Harry recognized the mirror he had looked into almost two years ago. Bella and Tom both came to stand beside him.

Harry finally allowed himself to look at his reflection. He gasped. He was much taller, almost reaching his father's shoulder, whereas now he barely reached his chest. His hair was still long and straight, hanging down to his chin. He looked more muscular as well. His eyes stood out the most. His glasses were gone, and he noticed that the gold and purple flecks that had dotted his eyes previously were more pronounced. He took a good look at his father's eyes, remembering what his mother had said before. He noticed that the purple and gold flakes in his father's eyes were less pronounced than his own. He briefly wondered what that meant.

"I can't wait until I can reveal that I am _your_ son. Then I won't have to be Harry _Potter_; I can be Harry Thomas Salazar Riddle." Tom and Bella looked down at their son, smiling proudly.

"Well, Harry, hopefully that day will come soon. For now, let's go watch those memories and take your first step towards reassuming your proper identity.


	3. A Trip Down Memory Lane

**Hi Everyone. So, I've been having major writer's block for this story. Here is a semi-fluffy little interlude about the memories Harry received. Hope you like it.**

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**Chapter 3: A Trip Down Memory Lane**

Harry reentered the sitting room with his parents. He was prepared to watch the memories they had given him, but he wanted to watch them with his family. "Father, can this Pensieve project memories?"

"Yes, son, it can. Did you want to watch the memories with all of us?"

"Yes, please. How do I project them?"

"It is a complex spell. I will take care of it for now."

"Ok, thank you, father." Harry pulled out the first vial and emptied it into the Pensieve. He read the label. _Day of Birth._ "Ok, we're watching me get born." Tom waved his wand and the memory was projected around them.

A young Tom was bending over a young Bella in a bed. Memory Bella had the blankets pulled over her, but the bulge of her belly was impossible to miss. Harry didn't recognize the room they were in. "Where is this?"

"This is St. Mungo's, Harry. It is the wizard hospital. We didn't want to take any chances with the birth." Just then something started beeping. Tom explained to Harry that it was a monitoring charm cast on memory Bella. Harry saw memory Tom wince as Bella grabbed his hand. Two older women came rushing in moments later. Tom explained that they were healers.

"I think it's time, Mrs. Riddle. Now, push when we tell you to." The blond witch had spoken. She quickly helped her colleague arrange the blankets to allow for delivery, and Harry made sure to stay up near Bella's head. Harry saw memory Bella tense and groan. "Push NOW!" Harry wasn't positive exactly what was happening, but he watched his memory mother's face scrunch and turn red before she let out a mighty scream.

"That's great, Mrs. Riddle," said the other healer, a redhead. "One more big push." Memory Bella's face scrunched again, and she let out another scream, this one even louder than the first. If it weren't for his mother's comforting hand on his shoulder, Harry would have feared for her life. Harry saw memory Bella slump back against her pillows and looked at her worriedly.

"I was fine, Harry, just tired. Now look." Harry looked to where she was pointing. He saw an ugly, red baby get spanked and start crying.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Riddle. You have a healthy baby boy." The blond healer cast a quick cleaning charm on the baby, then wrapped him in a blanket and handed him to memory Bella.

"Is that…me?"

"Yes, Harry, that's you," said his mother fondly.

"I was so small…and scrunched up." The adults all laughed. They quieted down just as the redheaded healer was asking for his name.

"Harry Thomas Salazar Riddle," pronounced memory Tom proudly. The healer nodded and cast a spell at a parchment, which quickly filled in and copied itself thrice, before two copies disappeared. The healer handed the final copy to memory Tom.

"What was that, father?"

"That was your birth certificate, Harry. One is filed at St. Mungo's, and one is filed at the Ministry."

"Oh." Harry watched the last few moments of the memory as his memory parents cooed over his baby form. Eventually, the memory world dissolved around them and they found themselves back in the sitting room. Harry took a look at his watch. The memory had lasted half an hour!

"I don't think we'll have time to watch all of them tonight, so let me choose a few more, and then I'll watch the rest some other time."

"That sounds like a good idea, Harry," said Bella approvingly.

Harry knelt down next to the box of memories and pulled a few out at random. He took a quick look at the labels. _First Steps_. _First Word_. Abduction. He decided to watch his first steps first. Harry watched as Tom returned the previous memory to its vial, then he emptied the vial he was holding into the Pensieve. Once again, Tom waved his wand and the memory was projected.

They were now standing in Tom and Bella's room at Malfoy Manor. This surprised him, as he had always assumed that they had lived in their own home before his father's disappearance. He'd always assumed his mother lived at Malfoy Manor because she didn't want to live alone. He had been expecting his parents to tell him they were moving at any time, perhaps, however, that wasn't going to happen.

Curious, he turned to his parents. "Mother, Father, do we have our own home?"

"We do, Harry," answered Tom. "And I'll explain why we don't live there as soon as this memory is over." Harry nodded, satisfied for now. Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, Harry focused on his memory self. He looked to be about seven or eight months old. He was sitting on a rug near the foot of the bed and playing with his blocks while watching a much younger memory Bella brushing her hair.

Baby Harry wailed loudly, obviously hoping to catch memory Bella's attention. It worked, sort of. "In a moment, dearest. Mother needs to get ready for the day too, you know. Play with your blocks like a good boy." Harry smiled at the love that was evident in her voice. However, baby Harry wasn't pleased. He wanted attention.

With a squeal, he launched on of his blocks at his mother. Harry gasped, surely his baby self was in for a major punishment. Tom and Bella noticed his reaction and frowned. Harry, eyes riveted to the memory, didn't notice their interaction. Much to Harry's surprise, however, memory Bella simply levitated the block back to baby Harry. "That wasn't very nice, Harry. You know better than that." She cast an obviously mild stinging hex on baby Harry's hand. Harry could tell it was mild by the fact the baby Harry only barely flinched. When memory Bella turned back to her mirror, baby Harry huffed.

Harry watched as his baby self narrowed his eyes in concentration. Then, using the bed as support, he pulled himself up into a standing position. Holding the foot of the bed tightly, baby Harry took faltering steps toward his mother, who noticed his reflection in the mirror.

Memory Bella gasped and turned around. "Harry! Oh Merlin, how wonderful. TOM!"

A younger version of Tom quickly appeared at the door. "What is it, love?" Bella merely pointed at baby Harry, who was still carefully toddling toward her.

"Oh, HARRY!" Memory Tom raced forward and scooped up his son, twirling him around as he did so. Baby Harry squealed with delight at finally receiving the attention he had so craved.

"We should go show Cissy."

"Of course, Bella. I believe the Pensieve is in the sitting room." The memory world faded as memory Bella and memory Tom walked out of the bedroom, Tom still carrying baby Harry.

Harry shook his head as he came back to the real world. He smiled at his parents. "I was pretty determined as a baby, huh?"

Everyone laughed at that. It was Bella who answered, however. "I believe you are still rather determined, Harry." This caused another round of chuckles. When everyone had calmed down, Harry turned to his father expectantly.

"Oh, right. Well, Harry, as I said, we do have out own home. It belonged to my father, Tom Riddle, Sr. Someday I'll tell you the full story of my parents. For now, however, suffice to say that my father did not know I existed. When he mysteriously died, I purchased Riddle Manor and cast multiple charms and enchantments on it. I worked with the Goblins of Gringotts for help warding the house as well. We were about a month away from moving in the night you were abducted. Only two wards still needed to be erected.

"However, after you were stolen from us, we stayed here at Malfoy Manor for the moral support. Then, of course, after that fiasco all those years ago, your mother stayed with her family. We are considering moving there after your true identity comes out, but, for now at least, you need to be seen to be living with you Aunt and Uncle. Do you understand, Son?"

Harry nodded. "Will I be able to see it before then?"

"We'll see, Harry," answered Bella. Harry sighed and turned back to the memories, picking up the next bottle. He pulled the cork out of the vial and paused for a moment to allow Tom to remove the previous memory, then he poured in the memory of his first word. Again, Tom projected the memory.

When the world became clear, Harry realized they were out in the back yard. Baby Harry was playing on a blanket with a baby with blond hair while a young Bella and a young Narcissa drank tea at the table on the patio.

"Is that Draco?" asked Harry.

"Indeed it is, Harry," answered Narcissa. "Wasn't he a cute baby?"

"Moooootheeeerrrr!" whined Draco. Harry giggled as he watched the babies play. They were playing with blocks and cars. He saw baby Draco pick up a green car and move it back and forth, just enjoying the turning of the wheels. Baby Harry noticed how much fun baby Draco was having, and picked up the red truck. However, upon inspecting it, he threw it down, unhappily.

"You never did like red. Green was your favorite color back then."

"It still is," Harry answered his mother's implied question. She smiled at him gratefully. Baby Harry grabbed a couple of green blocks and clapped them together, attempting to look like he was having fun. However, when baby Draco ignored him, baby Harry threw the blocks down and huffed. Baby Harry sat there for a couple of moments.

Finally realizing that baby Draco would not relinquish his toy car anytime soon, Harry pointed at it. Baby Draco shook his head emphatically, then turned away and kept playing with it. Baby Harry pouted. He crawled over in front of baby Draco and pointed at the car again.

When baby Draco ignored him, he pointed once more. This time, the point was punctuated with a rather loud, "MINE!" Harry noticed that both memory Bella's and memory Narcissa's heads shot up.

"Was that Harry or Draco?" asked memory Narcissa?

"I don't know, Cissy." Their question was soon answered as baby Harry grabbed the toy car baby Draco was playing with and yelled, "MIIIIIIIIIIINE!" This, unfortunately set baby Draco to crying. He had enjoyed his car. The look on baby Harry's face was priceless. He looked at baby Draco, shocked, before looking at the toy car with obvious tears in his eyes before putting it on the ground in front of baby Draco, who stopped crying relatively quickly.

Memory Bella was now directly behind baby Harry. She picked him up. "That was very good of you, Harry. I'm glad you gave back the car. Here, as a reward…" She conjured a nearly identical green car for baby Harry to play with, and he squealed in delight.

Memory Bella sat baby Harry back on the blanket, where he eagerly crawled over to baby Draco to show off his new toy. Baby Draco grinned at him, and they proceeded to "race" their cars.

"Isn't that adorable," said memory Narcissa. Memory Bella simply nodded. After a moment of watching their children, memory Narcissa's head shot up. "We should tell Tom and Lucius about Harry's first word."

"Of course! How could I forget. I'm surprised, however, that it was 'mine'."

Memory Narcissa chuckled. "Well, perhaps his next word will be a little less self-centered." As the memory faded, the entire group shared a laugh at Harry's expense.

In an attempt to change the subject, Harry turned to his mother. "Was it?"

"Was what, dear?"

"Was my next word less self-centered?"

"Well, I suppose so, in a way." She was barely suppressing a laugh.

"What do you mean?"

"Your second word was 'NO'." Harry hadn't achieved his goal, as everyone was now laughing even harder. Burning with embarrassment, and thinking that perhaps it hadn't been the best idea to watch the memories with everyone, Harry grabbed the final memory he had chosen.

"Well," said Harry, "this is the last memory for today. It's the day I was abducted." The atmosphere in the room immediately became tense.

"We started with Sirius' visit, then it skips ahead to that night," mentioned Tom. "Are you ready for this memory?"

Harry nodded. "I'm ready, father." After Tom emptied the Pensieve, Harry poured in the last memory. He noticed that there seemed to be more of it than the others, and wondered how long it was. With a wave of his wand, Tom projected the final memory.

Harry recognized the sitting room, as only a few things had changed. His memory parents were sitting on the longer sofa, and his memory Aunt and memory Uncle were sitting in the armchairs across from them. They were quietly discussing something about the war, when a much younger Dobby popped into the sitting room.

"Master Tom, Mistress Bella, a person is here to be seeing you!"

"Who is it, Dobby?"

"Dobby isn't knowing him, Sir. But the man is saying his is Mistress Bella's brother."

Memory Bella gasped. "Tom, it's Sirius!"

"What could he possibly want?"

"I…I don't know. I haven't seen him since school."

"Dobby," said memory Tom. "Please bring him in."

"Yes, Master Tom. Dobby will be bringing him now!" Memory Dobby popped away and returned a couple minutes later with a man Harry could only assume to be Sirius.

"Sisters! It is good to see you both again." He seemed nice enough, but memory Bella frowned.

"What do you want, Sirius? Why are you here? Spying for the old coot?"

"Sister, you wound me. I have never, nor will I ever, spy on my family. I am here to try to mend this rift between us. Family shouldn't fight." Harry moved to stand beside his mother. He could see that watching this memory was painful to her. However, before he could speak, she turned to him with sad eyes which clearly told him he needed to watch this. Harry turned his attention back to the memory.

"You expect me to believe that, Sirius?"

"I do, Bella. Truly. I may have been sorted into Gryffindor, and I may have Gryffindor friends, but I would never turn against my family." The unspoken rebuke was obvious in the bitterness in his voice.

"You betrayed us, Sirius!"

"I could not convince the hat to put me in Slytherin. Believe me, I tried."

"Oh, of _course_…" Memory Bella's sarcastic retort was cut off by the POP! of an Apparating house elf. A young Dottie now stood in the sitting room holding a crying baby.

"Mistress Bella, Harry is crying and Dottie is not being able to stop him!" Memory Bella stared at her in horror. Her gaze transferred to Sirius before looking back at memory Dottie.

"Dottie, how could you?"

"Bella, is that? Do you? Do I have another nephew?" Sirius' face split into a grin as memory Dottie turned and saw him.

Memory Dottie turned back to memory Bella fearfully and squeaked out, "I is sorry, Mistress Bella. I is taking Harry now!" She disappeared with another POP!

"Bella," said Sirius. "No one knew. There was no announcement…"

"Of course there was no announcement, you fool! I'm enough of a liability to my husband. Imagine if the old coot found out. And now you know!" Her last words came out in a wail, and memory Narcissa rushed to comfort her sister.

"Bella…" Harry could hear pain in Sirius' voice. "You couldn't possibly believe I'd turn my own nephew over to Dumbledore, could you?"

"How should I know what you would do? Get out! Get out of this house now! I hope I never see you again!" When Sirius failed to move, memory Dobby took hold of his arm and Apparated him out.

As soon as he was gone, memory Tom spoke. "We'll have to leave. Tonight would be best. I know the manor isn't completely ready, but it's our best choice."

"Tom, dearest, we can't leave today. Did you forget that the Goblins will be casting the intrusion ward? They said it would be done by morning, but we can't go while they are casting."

Memory Tom swore and kicked a chair. "We'll pack tonight and leave first thing in the morning. We can go to Gringotts when it opens to find out when our manor will be ready. Lucius, Narcissa, you and Draco are all welcome to join us."

Memory Lucius and memory Narcissa shared a look. "We'll discuss it later today," said memory Lucius. Memory Tom nodded before calling to memory Dobby and discussing some plans.

The memory suddenly dimmed. Harry was about to ask what happened when it brightened again. They were once again in Tom and Bella's room. However, it was night, and a loud alarm was going off. Harry noticed memory Tom spring out of bed and blast open a door. It led to the nursery. A dark figure was bending over baby Harry's crib. It was immediately apparent that it wasn't a house elf, so that meant it was an intruder.

Memory Tom shot a stunner at the figure without a moment's hesitation. However, the person standing there deflected the spell with a quick wand movement. The person straightened up with baby Harry in his or her arms and disappeared in a flash. Memory Tom had raced forward to attempt to stop them, but was unable to reach them in time. It had all happened so quickly.

Memory Tom's wail of anger was chilling and heartbreaking at the same time. Harry was curious as to what Fawkes had been thinking when he helped in the kidnapping. Did he not know who he was transporting? He realized that memory Bella was standing behind memory Tom and loudly questioning him.

"Mum, Dad, I don't think I need to see more." Nodding in understanding, Tom waved his wand and the memory dissolved, leaving them back in the sitting room. "So Sirius told Dumbles that I was here?"

"Yes, he is the only one who knew about you who was loyal to the old man."

"But why would he do that? He's my uncle. He's your brother."

"Some people are just difficult to understand, Harry."

"I guess." He looked at the clock and realized it was nearly midnight. "I think I'm going to go to bed." He started to walk out of the sitting room, but was joined by his mother.

"Are you alright, Harry? Do you need to talk?"

"No, mother, I think I just need to process everything. I'll be ok. I'll see you in the morning."

"Alright, dear. Have a good night." A chorus of "good night"s followed him out of the sitting room.

Once in his room, Harry laid back on his bed and concentrated on talking to Fawkes.

_Fawkes, can you hear me?_

_Yes, of course, Chosen One. What troubles you?_

_Why did you help Dumbledore kidnap me?_

Harry could feel the sorrow in Fawkes' reply. _I did not realize it was you. The old man asked me to transport him away as he was in a life or death situation. I did so. It was only after that I discovered what he had done. _

_Oh. Well, it wasn't your fault. I'm going to go to sleep._ Harry dressed for bed and laid back down. His rest was plagued by nightmares. He dreamt he was a baby in his crib and a man was hovering over him. But it wasn't Dumbledore. He didn't recognize the man, who had a rat-like face.

As he bent over baby Harry, he whispered, "No more pretending to serve your parents, you brat. Now Dumbledore will finally accept me completely."

Harry sat up, instantly awake and breathing heavily. He was sure that something was very wrong in his dream, but the details were fading fast. _Someone had been…_ Harry shook his head. It was no use, the details were gone. He woke the next morning without even remembering he had had a dream.

**

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A/N 2: Ravenclaw Midnight Blue, since you don't have PM'ing enabled, my answer to your review is here. I'm not going to tell you too much, 'cause I don't want to give things away, but the story will really start diverting from canon with this book, and you'll see it even more in 4 and 5. There will be "good" werewolves, and I'm considering a major 180 as well. I'm not sure yet if I'll have werewolves who can transform at will. It's an interesting idea, I'll see if it fits anywhere. **


	4. Reforming the World

**A/N: So, here's the next chapter. As promised, this one actually forwards the story. Hope you like it, I think it's the longest chapter I've written so far.**

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**Chapter 4: Reforming the World**

A few weeks later, an owl delivered Harry's and Draco's Hogwarts letters. Harry was very surprised to find that he only needed four books: _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3_, _Intermediate Transfiguration_, _The Monster Book of Monsters_, and _Numerology and Grammatica._

Draco, however, needed many more, as Ancient Runes required _Ancient Runes Made Easy_,_ Rune Dictionary_, _Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms_, and _Spellman's Syllabary_. Harry was very glad he had chosen Arithmancy instead.

As he looked at his book list again, something clicked. "Well, now I understand why Hagrid sent me that book. It's for my Care of Magical Creatures class. You know, so that I can actually read it, I think I'll send him an owl to find out how to open it."

"Harry, why do you keep up any form of relationship with that oaf? He's Dumbledork's man through and through."

Harry grinned at his cousin. "So imagine how great a victory it will be when I win him to our cause. Besides, he could be very useful."

Lucius nodded proudly. "That's very Slytherin of you, Harry. Draco, you should never discount someone. Especially when that someone has inside information or could deliver a major blow to your enemy."

"Yes, father," muttered Draco. He would have to think about this carefully. His childhood upbringing to look down on certain people was difficult to entirely overlook. However, he was aware that the Pureblood world was changing, and his lovely girlfriend was the cause.

Before Draco got carried away in his thoughts, Bella spoke up. "Now that we have your Hogwarts letters, we should do your school shopping. I'm sure you both need new robes, as you're several inches taller. I'm sure you need plenty of other things as well."

Draco and Harry nodded emphatically. "Mother," said Harry. "Could we invite Luna and Hermione to join us?"

"Of course, dearest. Why don't you two go send them letters? Let's plan on going Friday afternoon. " Draco and Harry ran off to their rooms and sent off the letters. Draco wished he had his own owl, and considered asking his father for one when they went shopping. Harry, however, was simply excited. Friday wouldn't get here soon enough.

***RotR***

At 1:00 PM on Friday, Harry and Draco eagerly took pinches of Floo powder from the jar on the mantle. Draco managed it just a moment faster, so he went first.

"Diagon Alley!"

As soon as the flames died down, Harry followed. "Diagon Alley!" As he stepped out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron, he saw Draco and Hermione embracing. He knew they would have done more if it wasn't for Mr. and Mrs. Granger standing a few feet away. He looked around and spotted Luna waiting with her father.

He raced to her. "Luna! It's so great to see you!" He caught her and gave her a little spin before setting her back down. Remembering his manners he turned to Xenophilius and offered a small bow. "Mr. Lovegood, it's nice to see you again as well, sir."

"Thank you, Harry." As Harry had been speaking with them, Lucius, Narcissa, and Bella had come through the Floo network as well. Lucius and Narcissa had joined Draco, Hermione, and the Grangers. Harry saw the worried look on Draco's face and knew he was thinking back to when he told his parents about officially dating Hermione.

***Flashback Draco's POV***

"Mia, I need to speak with you a moment."

"Ok, Draco."

"Mia, I spoke to your parents, and they've given me their permission to court you. Will you be my girlfriend?"

"You asked my parents?"

"Of course, I would never want to go against their wishes, and we are rather young." Unsure what to say, Hermione simply kissed him in answer. When they parted for breath, Draco grinned cheekily.

"So, is that a yes?"

"Draco Malfoy, if you think I'd kiss anyone like that other than the man I considered my boyfriend, you are sadly mistaken in my character." Draco picked her up and swung her around.

"You, my dear Mia, have made me a very happy Slytherin indeed. However, I think you had best join your parents. They must be anxious to see you again after such a long time. I'll owl you soon."

"Thanks, Draco. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Mia." Draco walked her over to her parents, and said good-bye to them once more before finding his own parents. His mother had been anxiously scanning the crowd for him, and, as she enveloped him in a hug, he wondered how he would go about telling his parents that he was now officially dating a muggleborn.

"Mother, father, it's good to see you both."

"It's good to see you as well, Son. You had us worried. What took you so long?" asked Lucius.

Draco swallowed nervously. "Well, I was saying good-bye to…to…my girlfriend." The last words came out as almost a whisper. He looked up and saw his parents' shocked faces. Lucius took hold of Draco's trunk and disappeared. Narcissa followed, taking Draco with her. As soon as they were within Malfoy Manor, they turned back to Draco.

"Who is this girlfriend?" asked Narcissa, trying very desperately to keep a steady voice.

"I think you both know. It's Hermione."

"You are dating a Muggleborn?" asked Lucius.

"Yes, I am. I don't see anything wrong with it. She's a better witch than most of the other girls in the school, and she definitely smarter than them all."

"But Draco, she's…"

"She's _what_, father? She Muggleborn? I'm not really seeing how that makes any difference in who she is, or how well she does. Just, just let me be happy." He walked out of the room before his parents had a chance to reply.

***End Flashback***

The two families were getting along pretty well. The Malfoys agreed that they had accepted Hermione before she was dating their son, and, as such, had no real reason not to accept her now.

Tom was the last one through the Floo. He spotted his wife and son with Luna and her father and joined them. Xenophilius looked at him worriedly.

"Xeno, old friend, it is wonderful to see you!"

As they shook hands, Xeno cast a worried look around the pub. "Tom, are you sure it's wise…"

Tom cut him off with a small chuckle. "Not to worry, Xeno." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "No one actually knows what I look like. That old man consistently portrays me as a snake-faced bald man. Of course, the couple of times I've seen him since he made that declaration, I _have_ cast a glamour charm to look that way. Doing so gives me the freedom to go anywhere I want." Xeno nodded in understanding.

Harry stopped listening as their talk turned toward work and daily life. "Luna, what would you like to do first?"

"Why don't we start with our robes so we can pick up our other things while they are finished."

"Great suggestion, Luna," said Hermione, who had walked over to greet her other friends. They shared a quick hug before everyone, parents included, left the pub and entered Diagon Alley.

They all caught up with each other as they walked down to Madam Malkin's. The eleven of them crowded into the small shop and laughed and talked as the children were fitted for new uniforms. They were told their robes would be ready in about a half hour, and they could pay for them when they picked them up.

This reminded them all that a visit to Gringotts was in order, so the exited Madam Malkin's and headed toward the magnificent marble building. Harry led everyone up the steps to Gringotts. He bowed to each Goblin at the doors, earning him shocked looks. He then continued inside, marched straight up to an available Goblin and bowed again. He had read a bit about Goblin etiquette over the previous year, and, although there wasn't really much literary material, he knew the formal greeting.

"Pleasant day, Goblin. I hope your day has been profitable and your gold will always flow."

The Goblin looked over him carefully before inclining his head and responding in kind. "Pleasant day, Wizard. May your magic flow true."

"I would like to speak with my account manager, Goblin Ragnok, regarding my account, if I may."

The Goblin nodded. "Of course, please follow me, I shall direct you to Goblin Ragnok's office."

"Thank you." Harry followed the Goblin with his parents trailing behind him in case they were needed, as Harry was still underage. The others decided to stay behind and accomplish their own tasks. The Goblin stopped abruptly at the same ornately carved door Harry remembered from the year before. The Goblin knocked quickly.

From inside came a strong voice. "Enter!"

The Goblin opened the door and announced: "Wizards to see you regarding accounts, Goblin Ragnock."

"Thank you, Goblin Harnuk." The Goblin who had led them to the office bowed and left. Harry took this as a sign to enter the office, which he did.

Once again he greeted the Goblin formally. "Pleasant day, Goblin Ragnock. I hope your day has been profitable and your gold will always flow."

Ragnock was pleased by the effort Harry had obviously put forth to treating Goblins properly. He knew information about Goblin etiquette was difficult to find. "Pleasant day Wizard Riddle, may your magic flow true." He bowed to all three wizards before indicating that they should take a seat. "How may I assist you today."

Harry indicated his parents. "May I introduce Tom and Bellatrix Riddle, my biological parents." Nods and bows were exchanged. "I would like to make a quick check of my accounts, first, if that wouldn't be too much trouble."

"Nothing is too much trouble for one of our best customers, Wizard Riddle."

Harry smiled. "If you don't mind, Goblin Ragnock, please just call me Harry, there is no need for such formality during our meetings."

Ragnock offered the Goblin equivalent of a grin. He thanked the Great Overlords for having given him such a wonderful account to track. After all, he had been a lowly teller before meeting Harry Riddle. "Of course, Harry. You, may of course, be less formal as well. Now, allow me to retrieve a summary of your account records since the last time we met."

Ragnock left and returned a few moments later with a stack of papers. "I have been looking into the Potter vaults, and I believe there is a way for you to take full control of them before your seventeenth birthday. As you are considered an orphan, you become, by the Potters' own will, the de facto Lord Potter. Now, if you accept this title, you automatically gain full control of their wealth."

"Can this be disputed later?"

"Absolutely not, the Potters will states that you are to be the next Lord Potter."

"But what about when I reveal myself as Harry Riddle?"

"You will have already taken the title. You will simply gain an additional title someday. It is unlikely that anyone would wish to dispute a will, and if they so choose, Gringotts will help defend you."

"Thank you, Ragnock. I think I will claim the title."

"Very well, I had expected that. As such…" Ragnock produced a ring box and opened it for Harry to see. "This ring signifies that you are Lord Potter. Now, the title of Lord Potter gives you several privileges. I have listed them for you here, on this parchment." Ragnock handed Harry a foot-long parchment. Harry leaned back in his seat to read it so his parents may read it as well.

_Holdings, Monetary Value, and Privileges of Lord Potter:_

_Holdings:_

_ Potter Manor - England_

_ Potter Villa - France_

_ Potter House - England_

_ Potter Castle - Spain_

_ Family Vault: 832_

_ Trust Vault: 687_

_Monetary Value (in Galleons)_

_ Gold: 5,752,385_

_ Real Estate: 6,323,900_

_ Furniture: 873,412_

_ Books: 1,008,539_

_ Jewelry: 2,438,065_

_ Other: 986,825_

_ Total: 17,383,126_

_Accorded Privileges_

_ Potter seat in Wizengamot (cannot be accessed, unless by proxy, until age seventeen)_

"I always knew the Potters were wealthy, but I did not realize the extent. This is unbelievable." Harry agreed with his mother. He was speechless. He was sure he could put this money to good use. After all, his parents were quite wealthy in their own right; they had no need of extra money.

"Ragnock," asked Harry. "How much interest does this earn?"

Ragnock checked through his papers. "Vault 832 earned 575,238 Galleons last year. That vault, as one of our older vaults, earns 10% interest yearly. We deposit the interest monthly. Vault 682, as a trust vault, has a cap. The cap placed on it was 100,000 Galleons. It is refilled every year. Any interest earned is deposited into the trust vault as able, that which exceeds the cap is deposited into vault 832. Total interest earned on the trust vault last year was 7,348 Galleons."

"Thanks for your thoroughness, Ragnock. Very well, I shall formally assume the title of Lord Potter, what do I need to do?"

"Gringotts can file the forms with the Ministry. However, I will need you to sign three forms with a blood quill. Have you ever seen one?"

"No."

"Very well. They are not very pleasant, but they ensure that there is no forgery. The quill cuts into the back of your hand to sign with your blood. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience. We do have essence of murtlap to ease the stinging afterword." Ragnock pulled out the three forms for Harry to sign. He also produced a blood red quill. _Fitting_, thought Harry.

Ragnock placed the first in front of Harry. "This is your formal acceptance of the title, it will be filed here at Gringotts, at the Ministry, and you will be provided with a copy." Harry signed it and felt the stinging sensation on his hand. He saw the cut instantly heal itself.

As soon as it was signed, the form created two duplicates, two of which disappeared in a puff of smoke. Ragnock set the third to the side and set another one in front of Harry. "This form officially transfers all Potter holdings to your name." Harry signed this one as well, gritting his teeth through the pain. Once again, the form created copies, which vanished.

Ragnock placed the final form in front of Harry. "You may or may not sign this form at this time. This is an acceptance of your Wizengamot seat. Do you have someone who will be able to take the seat by proxy, or would you like to wait?"

Harry grinned. "I do have someone in mind, but I think I had better wait."

"Very well. Then you do not need to sign this form yet." Ragnock took the form back and set it aside. He then produced a cloth soaked in a greenish liquid. "This is essence of murtlap. Touch it to your hand, and it will alleviate the pain." Harry did so, and was gratified to feel the stinging cease instantly. When he set aside the cloth, Ragnock held out the Potter ring, which Harry took and put on. He felt it instantly resize. He took a close look at it and saw that there was an ornately shaped "P" laid onto a flawless diamond, which was set into a circular setting. The ring itself was white gold. Harry was glad it wasn't Gryffindor colors.

"Ragnock, I have three more orders of business to discuss with you before I would like to visit vault 832."

"Very well, Harry, what would you like to discuss?"

"I hope, very soon, to be able to reveal my true identity. As such, I would like to have a plan in place to move all of the Potter assets either to a new Riddle vault, or to the existing Riddle vault. Would you be able to work on that plan? I would like to have them moved by next year, to prepare for any eventuality."

"Of course, Harry, I will begin that work forthwith."

"Thank you. Now, I would like to continue to improve my own, and my family's relationship with Gringotts. As such, I was wondering if it would be possible to learn more of Goblin etiquette. I would not wish to make a faux pas."

Ragnock stared at Harry in shock. Never, in all of his life, had he heard of such a request being made. "I will look into it, Harry. I honestly do not know at this point. Expect an owl from me in a few weeks."

"Thank you, Ragnock. That brings me to my final business. However, it is a delicate matter. I hope you will allow me to speak frankly without creating any misunderstandings." Ragnock nodded. He was very interested to hear what would come out of Harry's mouth next. "I wish to offer you a pay raise and a bonus for the excellent service you have provided me." Ragnock's eyes shot open. This was unheard of. "However, I am unsure as to what offer would be appropriate. As, such, I ask you to name your price."

It took several moments for Ragnock to recover. To ask a Goblin to name his own price showed an extraordinary amount of trust on the part of the wizard. Goblins were known to value money above all else. He hardly knew what to say. The first thought into his mind was to respond to Harry on a personal level. "Harry, I assure you, I already receive a fair…"

Harry cut him off. "Ragnock, I will not hear any denials. It is my money, and my account, and I feel you are assisting me in ways far beyond the norm. I sincerely desire you to take a raise, permanently, and a bonus for this meeting."

Ragnock swallowed. He did quick calculations in his head. Goblins did not require much money to live. Their houses were hollowed out of rock. Their furniture was often made by hand, and food was easily found or grown. Money, in general, was merely a way to gain status in the Goblin culture; the larger your hoard, the better your status. Your status also determined your career, as a Goblin with a larger hoard, could turn down opportunities more easily. Goblins with smaller hoards, as he had been when he started working for Gringotts, accepted what was offered.

As a teller, he made about two hundred Galleons a year. When he became an account manager, he was paid four hundred Galleons a year. Of that, three hundred came from Gringotts, and one hundred came from the account holder as the fee for having a manager. He had heard that branch managers often made as much as seven hundred Galleons a year.

Harry waited quietly as Ragnock thought. He wasn't sure if Ragnock realized he had started muttering. Harry heard the mention of branch managers' earnings and was surprised it was so low. He was willing to make an offer if Ragnock didn't make a decision soon. Money was no issue to him, and he greatly desired to have allies within Gringotts.

Ragnock finally came to a decision. He faced Harry. "Harry, I wish to thank you for your generosity. I am sure a raise of fifty Galleons a year will suffice. As to the bonus, I think that is for you to decide." It had taken every ounce of self-control to limit himself so much. However, Ragnock sensed that gaining this young man's trust would serve him well in the future.

Harry smiled. "I can see I have most definitely chosen the correct Goblin to run my accounts. I would like you to accept a three hundred Galleon a year pay raise, as well as a one thousand Galleon bonus."

Ragnock only just kept himself from falling off his chair. He couldn't wait to tell his mate what had happened today. "Wizard Potter, your generosity is…"

Harry waved away his thanks. "First, it's Harry, no reverting to Wizard Potter now. Second, I like to thank people accordingly. You have provided me a great service; I provide you a great reward. I think it is an even trade. Now, do I need to sign anything to make this official?"

Ragnock collected himself. "Yes, actually, thank you for reminding me. Allow me to bring my superior, you will need to file the forms with him." Ragnock left to go retrieve the Goblin in question.

"Harry," said Bella. "I hope you aren't planning on throwing away money like that all of the time."

"Mother, I'm securing a lasting ally with less than a month's interest on the main Potter vault. It isn't even really my money. And I know you and father don't actually _need_ it."

Before Bella could reply, Tom spoke to his son. "I agree with you son. It was a very worthy expense. I am sure you have just secured Ragnock's loyalty. Very Slytherin of you, Harry, very Slytherin indeed to start at the world's money source." Harry smiled, glad his father had understood.

Moments later, Ragnock returned with another Goblin who was dressed in slightly more ceremonial garb. "Allow me to present my superior, Goblin Goobluck."

Harry stood and bowed. "Pleasant day, Goblin Goobluck. I hope your day has been profitable and your gold will always flow."

Goobluck was taken aback by the formal greeting. Only years of practice in formality enabled him to return the greeting. "Pleasant day, Wizard Potter. I hope your magic flows true." They all sat (except Ragnock, as Goobluck had taken his seat), and Goobluck continued the meeting.

"Lord Potter, I understand that you wish to formalize a pay raise for Goblin Ragnock."

Harry attempted to stay as formal as possible, realizing that this was a serious occasion for Goblins. "Yes, Goblin Goobluck. Goblin Ragnock has served me very well, I wish to reward that service."

Goobluck nodded. "Very well." He pulled a form from his coat. "You will need to complete this form." He set the form in front of Harry and pointed one of his long fingers at an already filled-in line. "This is Goblin Ragnock's current stipend from yourself. The line read one hundred Galleons. Harry continued reading along the line and realized that this was per year. He began to rethink his offer.

"Goblin Goobluck, forgive me if I ask an inappropriate question. I am, as yet, mostly unfamiliar with Goblin culture." Goobluck nodded, pleased that Harry had excused himself. "Is this the total recompense Goblin Ragnock receives for managing my accounts?" Harry silently thanked Hermione and her stellar vocabulary. He knew recompense sounded much smarter than getting paid.

Goobluck shock his head. "No, Lord Potter. He also receives three hundred Galleons from Gringotts as yearly recompense."

Harry nodded. His previous offer would stand. "Very well, Goblin Goobluck, please continue."

Goobluck pointed to another line. This one was blank. "Please indicate the amount of the yearly raise here." Harry quickly wrote three hundred Galleons. Goobluck worked very hard to keep his face expressionless. Such a raise was unheard of in Goblin-Wizard interactions. He would need to acquaint his superior with the actions of Lord Potter. He pointed out the last blank line. "Please sign here to complete the form."

Harry signed then looked up at Goobluck. "Goblin Goobluck, I also wished to provide Goblin Ragnock with a one-time bonus for his extra work this meeting." Goobluck looked at Harry, then looked sharply at Ragnock, sure he had misunderstood. Harry, misinterpreting the reaction, spoke to clear the air. "I assure you, Goblin Goobluck, this choice was entirely of my own thought. Goblin Ragnock did not influence my decision in the least.

Goobluck produced another form and placed it in front of Harry. It had only two blank lines. "Lord Potter, please indicate the amount to be awarded on the first line, and sign on the last." Harry did so and handed it back to Goobluck. This time Goobluck was unable to keep the shock off of his face.

Harry bit his cheek to keep from laughing. "Is that all Goblin Goobluck? Goblin Ragnock has also agreed to show me to my vault."

Goobluck gave himself a little shake to clear his head. He said a few words of Gobledegook to Ragnock before bowing and saying good-bye to Harry.

When Goobluck departed, Ragnock thanked Harry for his generosity once more. Harry waved the thanks away. He truly felt the money had been earned. He and his parents followed Ragnock to the mine carts, and took the wild ride to vault 832. They were amazed by just how much stuff was in the vault. Tom, especially, was amazed to see that there were several questionable artifacts contained within.

"Ragnock," asked Harry. "Is it possible to get an itemized listing of everything in this vault?"

"Of course, Harry. I shall include it in the letter I mentioned previously."

"Thank you. I think that concludes my business here." After another wild ride they were back in the Gringotts lobby. Harry bowed and offered the formal leave-taking response. "Goblin Ragnock, our business has proved profitable. May the Great Overlord bless your hoard."

Ragnock smiled and bowed. "Lord Potter, our business has indeed proven profitable. May Merlin ever keep your magic flowing."

Harry met back up with his friends and family, who had all been wondering what was taking so long. He filled them in and showed them his ring as they walked back to Madam Malkin's. It only took a few minutes to pay for their purchases, then they were back out on the street and heading for Flourish and Blotts.

Luckily, this year the store wasn't hosting an event, so they were able to get in an out without too much trouble. Predictably, Hermione bough a few extra books, so Bella helped her out by adding the featherweight charm to her bag. Hermione would have no trouble carrying her purchases now.

Their last stop of the day was the Magical Menagerie. Luna and Harry wanted to pick up a few varieties of treats for Neith and Hedwig to find out which they liked best. Hermione and Draco were both hoping to get an owl.

Harry and Luna were finished first, and went outside to join their parents. Eleven people couldn't possibly fit inside at once, so the parents had decided to wait outside until they were needed to pay.

Draco and Hermione searched the store together. They walked up and down the rows of owls, each hoping to find on that they liked. By the last row, they were feeling downhearted, but the very last owl suddenly whooed and jumped on Draco's shoulder.

"Oh, Draco, it's beautiful!" The owl was jet black and had enormous, piercing, green eyes.

The manager of the store had run toward them when the owl had moved. "Be careful of that one, she bites!"

"No," said Draco. "She's great. She beautiful, and very nice. How much?"

"I haven't been able to sell her. You can take her for three Galleons."

"I guess it's my lucky day. Let me get my father." While Draco went off to pay for the owl, Hermione looked sadly at the empty perch.

She sighed. "No pet for me, I guess."

"Meow!" Hermione looked down and saw a cat with thick and fluffy ginger fur. It started winding around her legs and purring.

"Aren't you gorgeous!" said Hermione, bending down to pick up the cat. It jumped into her arms before she had even reached its level. "Oh, you are definitely coming home with me." Hermione carried the cat up to the front desk and waved her parents inside.

"Hermione, I thought you wanted an owl?"

"I did, but this adorable cat chose me first."

"That's not a cat, miss," said the manager. "It's a cat-kneazle hybrid."

"Even better!" exclaimed Hermione. She quickly explained kneazles to her parents who were pleased with the outcome of the day. They quickly bought her what she would need, then joined the others outside.

Luna stepped forward to admire the cat, and was joined by Harry and Draco, who had named his new owl Iah. Iah even looked down from her perch on Draco's shoulder to inspect Hermione's new pet.

While the children were occupied, Lucius pulled Xenophilius aside. "Might I have a word, Xeno?"

"Of course, Lucius." The two men found a secluded corner, and Lucius quickly cast a few privacy charms.

"Forgive me for saying this, old friend, but I know that you have been having some problems with the _Quibbler_." Xeno's face went slightly red, but her merely nodded, interested in where this was going. "I would like to completely fund the _Quibbler_ for the time being, until it really gets going. However, I would like you to print one story of my choosing with each issue."

"That's a very kind offer, Lucius, however, I think we are doing well enough."

"You don't understand me, Xeno. You are welcome to print anything else in the entire magazine. I merely wish one story. I know a few recent graduates of Hogwarts who would love to write, and would be a great help to you. I wish to begin using the _Quibbler_ to assist Harry and destroy the old man's reputation. Will you help me, friend?"

Xeno realized that what Lucius was really doing was buying himself some media. He could work with that. Especially as it would only be one article per issue. And with some new writers, he could publish more often. If he played his cards right, the _Quibbler_ could be as big as the _Daily Prophet. _"Very well, Lucius, I accept your offer. Shall we have our lawyers iron out the details?"

"I think that would be best. I do not wish this to affect our friendship in the least. Now, as to the articles, I have three I wish you to start with. You may print them in any order you wish, although I suggest you start with the story about the founders."

Lucius proceeded to discuss what he had learned about the founders of Hogwarts from Harry the previous year. He also mentioned the story of Hagrid's expulsion, and suggested running a story about Dumbledore's lack of notification of the students' parents about the attacks. He was especially concerned about the fact that Dumbledore had not notified Xeno or the Grangers that Luna and Hermione had actually been taken into the Chamber of Secrets.

They parted amicably as their families finished their shopping. Lucius promised to send the perspective journalists to Xeno for interviews. The journalists were swept from his mind, however, when he heard Bellatrix invite Hermione to Malfoy Manor the next morning.

Before he could say anything, Draco hugged his aunt. "Thanks Aunt Bella! That's awesome. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, please, can she come visit us?"

They smiled indulgently at the boy. "Of course, but only for the morning, we have plans for the afternoon."

"Thanks!"

"You're quite welcome, but we had best be going."

"Oh, ok, bye Mia. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I can't wait." Hermione turned and followed her parents out the front door to muggle London, as Harry and his parents, Draco and his parents, and Luna and her Father went through the Floo network.

***RotR***

The next morning after breakfast, Bella Apparated Hermione to Malfoy Manor. Bella's care for her child, and feelings toward those who had helped said child, far outweighed any negative feelings or prejudices she had once had against Muggleborns.

Originally, upon hearing about Hermione, she figured she must be a special case, or maybe she had been adopted. Of course, meeting the Grangers, and that blood magic test proved those theories wrong. The Grangers were lovely people, and their daughter was amazing. She had, single-handedly allowed Harry to visit Malfoy Manor by outsmarting Dumbledore, something that hadn't been done in decades.

Over the last couple of years, Hermione's vibrant personality and propensity to help Harry and Draco, and even Luna to some degree, had wormed her way into Bella's heart. She knew her sister and brother-in-law were getting to that point, but thought that spending more time with Hermione might help that along. After all, Draco was the one who had found Harry, and she wanted him to be happy, too.

When she arrived at the Granger house, Hermione was waiting for her with a notebook and pencil.

"What are those for, Hermione?"

"I'd like to ask Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy some questions to better understand feelings toward Muggleborns and Muggles. Perhaps my understanding where some of these feelings came from will help me to overcome them."

"That's a great idea, Hermione. Now, let's go." Bella promised that she would have Hermione home by noon, then disappeared with a small pop. Draco was waiting eagerly at the top of the steps, and ran down to meet Hermione when they arrived. After a quick kiss, and a thank you hug for his Aunt, Draco led Hermione into the sitting room. He knew that this meeting was more for his parents who were sitting on the sofa waiting for them. Draco and Hermione sat in the side-by-side armchairs across from the sofa.

Wasting no time, Hermione got right down to business. "Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, I was wondering if you would be willing to tell me where the prejudice against Muggleborns and Muggles originated. Did it start with the dreadful witch burnings back in the middle ages?"

Lucius and Narcissa traded a look. They knew that if they lied to Hermione, she would find out in the cross research she was sure to do. Lucius took a deep breath and gave the one answer no one ever wants to hear. "I'm not sure anyone truly remembers where it started Hermione. It may have been a family feud between Muggles and Wizards, it may have been a misunderstanding, it could have been anything; that has been lost to us now. Today, we merely know what the prejudices are, not where they came from."

Hermione nodded, having expected this. She decided to focus on specific questions instead. "Why, exactly, are Muggles viewed as inferior to Wizarding society? Is it simply because they do not have magic?"

Narcissa chose to answer. "Yes, that's pretty much it."

"But, then aren't all of the things Muggles have managed to do without magic just more amazing? They've developed things that the Wizarding world doesn't have, like telephones, and computers, and movies."

Slightly unwillingly, Narcissa agreed. "When you put it that way, I suppose you are right. But we have owls, and the Floo, and Pensieves." Hermione decided not to press the issue of Muggle things being better, at least not right now.

"So, if the only problem with Muggles is that they don't have magic, what is the problem with Muggleborns? We have magic?"

Lucius and Narcissa sighed. How would they ever describe it? "It isn't any one thing wrong with Muggleborns, it's just that they don't understand the Wizarding world. They don't know our customs, they don't have the same ideas we do, and they…" Lucius trailed off. He had been about to say that they were always questioning everything, but he didn't wish to insult Hermione.

"So, basically, we aren't one of you?" It could have sounded insulting, but the defeated way in which Hermione said it, made it heartbreaking. No one said anything as Hermione took notes. Her head suddenly shot up. "When is the cut-off to attend Hogwarts?"

"Excuse me?"

"What is the latest you can turn eleven and still attend Hogwarts the same year? I had to wait because my birthday is in September."

"Oh, I understand. It is July 31st I believe. That gives any one student a month to acquire their supplies and prepare themselves."

Hermione nodded. "Well, why isn't that first month used to teach Muggleborns about Wizarding society and what is expected of them, rather than treating them as scum and shunning them?" When no one answered, Hermione took a deep breath. "If the only thing wrong with my parents is that they don't have magic, then nothing should be wrong with me. So there should be no reason not to allow me to learn your ways entirely. Either the time between telling a Muggleborn about their magic and said Muggleborn starting at Hogwarts, or the first year at Hogwarts should be used to teach Wizarding culture and society. There is a Muggle studies class at Hogwarts, why not a Wizard studies? Honestly, the royal family has married commoners before!"

The Malfoys stared at Hermione, unable to truly refute her logic. They merely nodded for the time being. Hermione took this as a cue to continue. "In your eyes, are all Wizarding families equal? And do all Wizarding families know, and practice, the same manners and values?"

"Not at all!" huffed an indignant Narcissa. "There are families who haven't the slightest idea of how to act."

"Well," said Hermione. "Wouldn't that be even more reason to have a Wizarding studies or society class? The Wizard society is so small as a whole in comparison to the Muggle world that I think it would be far better for us all to stand together rather than attack ourselves over stupid prejudices."

"I agree with you, Mia," said Draco. It was an obviously genuine remark, and his parents looked at him, surprised.

Before he had a change to say anything else, Hermione asked her last questions. "Where did the term Mudblood come from, and what exactly are the blood prejudices?"

"Well, that term comes from the idea of dirty blood. Before it was discovered that magic resides within the soul, it was believed that magic resides in the blood. The 'blood status' of a person was determined by how much magic is in a person's blood. Muggleborns were thought to have only a small portion of magic in their blood. That is, the magic was diluted with inferior Muggle blood. 'Halfbloods' were thought to have about half magical blood and half Muggle blood. Now, between 'Halfbloods' and 'Purebloods' there was a bit of a hazy point. After all, when did one discount a Muggle relation?"

"But, doesn't every 'Pureblood' have a Muggle ancestor in their family tree? I mean, Magical people did not just sprout out of nothing. So is _anyone_ actually 'pure'."

"I suppose that is true, but, as I mentioned, we have since learned that magic resides in the soul, not the blood. If you are magical, your soul as a magic core, if you are not, it doesn't." Lucius had a smug smile, thinking he had won.

"But then why does the 'Pureblood' society insist on continuing blood prejudices if they have been proven false and accepted as such?" Not one person had an answer to that. "Thank you for answering my questions, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. I think I know where to start with my goals now." Hermione stood and left the room with Draco following so they could spend some time together before she had to leave.

Lucius and Narcissa stayed behind, staring at each other in shock for several minutes. Narcissa recovered first. "Do you get the feeling that that girl is going to turn our world upside down?"

Lucius nodded. "And I think she will have help from Harry, Draco, and Luna. They might just be the leaders of the next generation of witches and wizards."

**

* * *

A/N 2: Well, there it is. I hope you liked it. Anyone have any ideas where the Pureblood prejudice against Muggles and Muggleborns came from?**


	5. Back to School

**Chapter 5: Back to School**

On September 1st, the Malfoys and the Riddles woke early and had a hearty breakfast to prepare their children for the long train ride. Harry, now more secure in the idea that he had loving parents, was excited to go back to school and spend more time with Luna. Out of respect for his parents, however, he tried to conceal some of his excitement.

Harry and Draco shrunk down their trunks, which reminded them of the need to research England's Underage Magic laws, before being Apparated to King's Cross. They walked onto the main platform at precisely 10:40 am, leaving them plenty of time to greet their friends and their friends' parents.

"Draco, we'd better claim a compartment first."

Draco nodded. "Good idea. Mother, Father, we'll be right back." The adults nodded their acceptance as the boys set off, weaving between the students, parents, pets and luggage. The platform wasn't ridiculously crowded yet, but it was busy enough to require them to pay attention. When they found an empty platform, they tossed their shrunken trunks up onto the racks before enlarging them.

"Should we change into our school robes now?"

Harry shrugged. "Might as well." A few minutes later, they rejoined their parents on the platform.

"Already changed, Draco?"

"Yes, Father, I thought it would be easier to do so now."

"Good thinking, son." Draco smiled at the praise.

"Hey, there's Luna! I'll be right back." Harry took off and returned a few moments later with Luna and Xenophilius in tow. "Draco, I think I saw Hermione over that way. I figured you'd want to be the first to greet her."

Draco grinned. "Thanks, mate. I'll be back."

"Mr. and Mrs. Riddle, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, it's good to see you all again." The adults all returned Luna's sentiment. Bella pulled the girl close for a hug. She still thought of the blonde girl as a surrogate daughter, and was very happy with the budding relationship between Luna and Harry.

The adults also exchanged greetings with Xenophilius. As Lucius was asking about The Quibbler, Draco returned with Hermione and her parents. The adults all chatted pleasantly, while the children caught up on what they had missed the past few days.

Harry lowered his voice and leaned into his group of friends. "Hermione, Luna, I need to tell you something important once we get on the train. Don't let me forget."

"Ok, Harry," nodded Luna. Harry grinned. It was great to know that he would be seeing Luna on a daily basis again.

A few minutes later, the train whistle blew, and the students shared hasty, and rather tearful, good-byes with their parents. Draco led the way to the compartment he and Harry had claimed earlier, with Hermione by his side. Harry noticed that they weren't holding hands.

As soon as they reached the privacy of the compartment, Harry decided to clear the air. "Before I tell Hermione and Luna the big news, I just want to say that I hope you two don't limit yourselves because we're around. I'm perfectly OK with public displays of affection as long as you don't go overboard. Don't feel embarrassed on my account."

Draco and Hermione both blushed. Hermione looked as though she was going to say something, but Luna beat her to it. "I agree with Harry. The world could use a little more affection."

"Thanks, you two." Hermione nodded, showing her agreement with Draco.

"So Harry," said Hermione. "What was it you wanted to tell us?"

"Oh, right. Um, well do you two know about Sirius Black?" Luna nodded, but Hermione shook her head.

"I think I should start having the _Daily Prophet_ delivered. I get so out of touch with the wizarding world when I'm at home with my parents."

Harry shrugged. "It's something to look into, I suppose. Ok, so, Sirius Black was a prisoner at the wizarding prison, Azkaban." Harry quickly caught Hermione up on the story of Sirius Black as the rest of the wizarding world knew it. Draco and Luna helped him some, too.

"That's horrid! But, Harry, how is that possible?"

"It's not, see, what really happened is even worse." Harry then went on to tell both Hermione and Luna exactly what Sirius Black had really done. When he was finished, neither girl could speak. Luna's eyes were flashing in anger, and Hermione's were sparkling with unshed tears.

When the two girls finally regained their composure, they launched into a joint tirade, about what a foul git Sirius Black was.

Harry and Draco were amused by it, but were soon distracted when the train started slowing down. Draco held up a hand to the girls to get them to quiet down.

"Do either of you have a watch?"

Hermione glanced at hers. "Well, we certainly can't be to Hogwarts yet, it's far too early."

"So, why are we stopping?" asked Draco.

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the train became eerily quiet. Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into darkness.

"What stupid prank is this?" questioned Draco, angrily.

"I don't know," answered Harry. "But no sense staying in the dark. Lumos." Harry's want lit up, illuminating the small compartment nicely. His friends quickly followed suit.

"Do you think we've broken down?" asked Hermione.

"Perhaps a blathering drumsickle is on the tracks," replied Luna, in a very small, frightened voice.

Harry turned to ask her what she meant, but Draco, who was sitting next to the window spoke first.

"There's something moving out there. I think people are coming aboard."

"Perhaps we should go ask the driver what's going on," said Hermione.

"That's a good idea. Would you like me to come with you?"

"Sure, thanks Dray." Harry saw Draco blush before standing and opening the door to the compartment. The moment he stepped out, however, he jumped back in and slammed the door shut, looking as white as a sheet.

"Draco," questioned Hermione. "What is it?" Before Draco could answer, the door slid slowly open.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the light of their wands, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak, and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water…

The horrendous appendage was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Harry's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak.

And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

An intense cold swept over the four friends. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very heart. He felt as though he would never in his life be happy again.

He suddenly heard a small moan come from Luna. His head snapped to hers, the spell caused by the creature momentarily broken by his concern. He noticed her eyes were rolled up in her head.

Harry swooped forward and caught her just before she fell. He was no longer afraid of the creature, he was enraged. Turning to the cloaked being he hissed _Leave here, creature, you are not welcome!_ At his words, the creature turned to flee, but was halted by a white light. In seeming desperation, it turned and fled down the corridor in the other direction.

Harry barely even noticed the creature was gone, as he had turned all of his attention back to Luna, who was still cradled in his arms.

"Luna, LUNA! Wake up." Luna slowly opened her eyes then pulled Harry tight in a hug.

"Harry, it was _horrible_," she whispered in his ear. "I remembered coming home the day my mother died." Harry felt his shoulder getting wet and knew she was crying.

"Shhh, Luna, it's ok. The thing is gone. I'll keep you safe." As he held her and whispered comforting words, a man wearing an extremely shabby set of robes that looked darned in several places walked into their compartment. He looked somewhat ill, and, though obviously rather young, his light brown hair was flecked with grey.

"Are you four alright?"

Harry glared up at the newcomer. "Does she _look_ alright?"

The man seemed taken aback by Harry's vehemence, but recovered fairly quickly. "I'm sure you're all rather shaken, but I meant, are any of you injured at all?"

"No, Sir," replied Hermione.

The man breathed a sigh of relief. "Good." He pulled a large bar of chocolate out of his pocket and broke off decent sized chunks, handing one to each of them. "Eat this, chocolate helps dispel the effects of Dementors."

Hermione was the first to take a bite. "Mmm, thank you. That does help."

The man chuckled. "I'm very happy you're all safe. I'm Professor Remus Lupin, by the way. I'll be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Harry and Draco just managed to stifle gasps.

"It's nice to meet you, Professor Lupin. I'm Hermione Granger."

Lupin shook her hand then turned to Draco. "I'm Draco Malfoy." The boy did not offer the man his hand. He remembered his aunt's story.

Lupin looked down at Harry and smiled. "I know you, Harry. You look like James, but you have Lily's eyes."

Harry had to keep himself calm. He pulled off a fairly good impression of surprise. "You knew my parents?"

"Yes, we were good friends. Please stop by my office later, we can discuss them. Now, I don't wish to disturb you further, and I need to speak to the conductor. Enjoy the rest of your trip."

"Filthy liar," spat Harry, as soon as Lupin was out of the compartment.

"You don't know that, Harry," cautioned Hermione.

"Yes I do, Mia. He was part of James Potter's little gang." Hermione's eyes bulged.

"HIM? He's a Dumbledore supporter? Then what's he doing walking around in rags? I would have thought old Dumbles would treat his supporters better."

Hermione's nickname for the Headmaster got them all laughing, even Luna. In an attempt to lighten the mood even more, Draco brought up Hogsmeade.

"It'll be our first legitimate visit, you know. No more sneaking around."

"What do you mean?" asked Luna.

"In our first year, we snuck out to Hogsmeade using my invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map."

"Oh, well, as I can't go for another year, please tell me about it." Harry, Hermione and Draco, proceeded to do just that. They told her all about Dervish and Bangs, Honeydukes, the post office, Scrivenshaft's, and the Three Broomsticks. Hermione mentioned some historical facts as well.

Before they knew it, the train was pulling into Hogsmeade station. The four friends clamored into a carriage and rode up to Hogwarts. They were met at the entrance by none other than their head of house, Professor Snape.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Miss Lovegood, please come with me. Mr. Malfoy, you may proceed to the Great Hall." Draco gave them a quick, confused glance before he was swept away with the group of students making for the hall. "Follow me."

They did as they were told and followed Professor Snape down to his dungeon office. It was a cold, stark place, somewhat like the man himself. He did not have them sit.

"We must do this quickly. I am merely checking that you are all alright. Miss Lovegood, how are you feeling?"

"I'm doing much better, Professor. Thank you."

"Did Lupin give you chocolate?"

"Yes, sir, he gave us all large chunks."

"Good, at least he did something properly. Now, I want you three to be careful around them, and make sure to let Draco know as well."

"Don't worry, Sir," said Harry. "We know all about him and his _friends_."

"Good, now, I need to speak to Miss Granger privately for a moment regarding her course schedule. Wait outside then I will escort you to the feast."

Luna and Harry stepped outside and waiting quietly. They had to wait only a few minutes; then Hermione emerged looking very happy about something, followed by Professor Snape, and the four of them made their way back up to the Great Hall.

It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall

"Oh," said Hermione softly, "we've missed the Sorting

Professor Snape strode off toward his empty seat at the staff table, and Harry and Hermione set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the Slytherin table. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the hall.

Luna, Harry, and Hermione sat down by Draco, who had saved them seats.

"What was all that about?" he muttered to Harry.

Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster stood up to speak, and he broke off, curious as to what the old codger would say.

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast…"

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business. They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises – or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly.

"It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.

"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.

"Look at Professor Snape!" whispered Draco.

Professor Snape was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. Even Harry, who knew Lupin's story, was startled at the expression twisting Professor Snape's thin, sallow face. It was beyond anger: it was loathing.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

Harry, Draco, Luna, and Hermione stared at one another, stunned.

"Who decided to let that oaf teach?" shouted Draco over the tumultuous applause. Harry leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard. This was better than he had expected. Now he would have a chance to work on pulling Hagrid over to their side.

"I suppose we should have know," said Harry. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"

The clapping died down, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"

The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Harry, suddenly ravenous, eagerly helped himself to everything that was passed his way.

It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Harry, however, was eager for it to finish so that he could talk to Hagrid. When the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed, and he got his chance.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Luna, Hermione, and Draco had reluctantly followed him up to the head table, but hung a bit behind.

"Thanks, Harry," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up. "Can' believe it… great man, Dumbledore… came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough… It's what I always wanted…" Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and they walked away.

_Well played, old man, _thought Harry. _But Hagrid is a valuable ally, and I'll win him in the end.\_

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_**AN: So, I'm sure you noticed the quotes from canon, but some things are great just the way they are. Also, thanks for the Muggleborn prejudice ideas. I think I've got the backstory pegged. :D**


	6. Quibbler Dementors on the Express

**Chapter 6: Quibbler**

**DEMENTORS ON THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS! (Cover Story)**

**By Xenophilius Lovegood**

It has come to this writer's attention that Dementors inspected the Hogwarts Express yesterday, September 1st, halfway to its destination.

It is reported that the foul creatures searched every compartment, inflicting the horrendous, bone-chilling feeling they cause on every student. Remember, these are CHILDREN aged 11-17.

It is on good authority that the Dementors even attacked certain students, purposefully sucking as much happiness out of their compartments as possible. In some cases, this brought to mind memories that had either been long buried, or were long forgotten because of the age at which they occurred. Many consider exposure to a Dementor a form of torture. How can the Ministry and Albus Dumbledore purposely subject these students to torture?

This writer can hardly believe that the Ministry would subject the poor students to such treatment or that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, would allow such a search! As such, there can only be three explanations in this: either the Ministry did not inform the headmaster that the search would take place (which doesn't say much about either party), the Headmaster was informed, but did nothing about it (which is absolutely ghastly), or the Dementors acted of their own accord (which is too terrible to contemplate).

This writer can only hope that something will be done to rectify this matter. Can the escape of Sirius Black _really _be worth the near torture of our children?

Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Draco crowded around the Quibbler issue that Xenophilius had sent his daughter.

"That's an awesome article!"

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy has offered to fund the Quibbler fully until it becomes a larger publication, on the condition that he gets one article of choice each issue. He hopes to use the Quibbler to attack Dumbledore, and, to some degree, the Ministry. Daddy was a little worried at first, but I think now he's happy he gets to report something important to others. He was afraid to do that before because he didn't really have a backer. With Mr. Malfoy, we don't have to worry about that. This issue will be sent out tomorrow."

"But not many people receive the Quibbler," replied Hermione, confused.

"Not, yet, that's true," answered Luna sadly.

"I have a great idea," Harry told them with a grin. "What if we make copies of the cover and this page and have them deposited in every common room? The cover is very interesting, so students are sure to pick them up. We can call it a free excerpt. Some of them are sure to send it to their parents, and we'll increase subscriptions. Oh, we better include a subscription card in there as well."

Luna hugged Harry tightly, beaming. "Harry, that's an excellent idea! Let's get to it."

Hermione was the one to perform the duplication spells. Luna created the subscription card for Hermione to duplicate as well. Harry cast a permanent sticking charm on the top left corner of the two pages to keep them together, and a light sticking charm on the subscription card, so it could easily be removed. Draco had Dobby and Dottie deliver the stacks to each common room. By the time they went to bed, they had created, and delivered, about a hundred copies.


	7. Lupin Interlude

**So, I felt rather inspired this morning and decide to work on my story. Just two short fillers (the Quibbler chapter and this one). I'm already working on the next real chapter, though. Hope you like them.

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**Chapter 7: Lupin Interlude**

Remus Lupin sat in his office after the Welcoming Feast, contemplating what he hoped to accomplish this year. He knew he had to keep Harry on Dumbledore's side. He knew that offering stories about Harry's "parents" would be a good enticement. He had seen how curious Harry was when he mentioned James and Lily.

He sat up in surprise when the fireplace glowed green. "Remus, in my office, please." Dumbledore's voice filled the small office space, issuing a clear demand. Remus stood, walked over to the fireplace, and Floo'd to the Headmaster's office.

He stepped out of the fireplace and dusted soot off of his robes. "You wish to see me, Albus?"

"Yes, Remus, how did the attack on the train go?" Remus considered how best to answer.

"Quite well. I was able to save Harry from the Dementors. He was not as affected as you predicted. However, the Lovegood girl was obviously seriously affected by them, so I am sure I can induce Harry to take lessons with me to protect her."

"There is something you are not telling me, Remus." Remus cursed the Headmaster's Legillimency ability.

"I believe the Dementor may have already been retreating when I arrived."

"What makes you believe that?"

"It was attempting to leave the compartment. I stopped it from coming in my direction with the Patronus, but before I had even finished casting the spell, it took off in the other direction."

"That is very interesting. Do you believe it had anything to do with Harry or his friends?"

"I can't be sure."

Dumbledore steepled his hands and rested his chin on them, contemplating the man standing before him. "Have you already offered him those lessons?"

"No, but he'll most likely request them. I offered him friendship, and asked him to stop by my office for stories about his 'parents'. Even if he does not seek lessons with me, I am positive that he'll keep coming back for the stories."

"Very good. I expect you to keep him on the correct path. You know why I bothered to keep him alive, and I need him on my side to fulfill that destiny. I do find it odd, however, that he has not been told the truth. See if you can figure that out."

"Of course."

"Very, well, we have an early morning tomorrow." Remus heard the dismissal and left through the fireplace back to his office. He now had even more to think about.


	8. Lessons with Apophis

**So, I felt very inspired today. Lot's of new posts. However, I think I exhausted that spurt of inspiration, so I don't know when the next post will be up. It could be a few weeks, or it could be tomorrow. Never know. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Chapter 8: Lessons with Apophis**

Harry's first weeks back to school went relatively smoothly. His classes were, oddly enough, getting easier. He wasn't sure exactly why this was, but he didn't exactly question it. As he was regularly the first student to grasp the work, he hardly had any homework at all.

This development, however, left him with quite a bit of extra time that he wasn't exactly sure what to do with. It was Luna who gave him the answer.

"Harry, I know you mentioned that the Dracolisk invited you to visit her, why don't you do so?"

After a moment's thought, Harry smiled. "That's a great idea, Luna. I think I will do that." As the next day was Saturday and he would be able to sleep in, Harry decided to visit Apophis that night.

When most of the students had gone to bed, Harry retrieved his invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map from his trunk. He saw that the common room was empty and made his way out of the Slytherin dormitory. With the help of the map, he made it up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom without incident.

As he pulled off the cloak and stuffed it in his pocket, he called out to the ghost in Parseltongue. _Myrtle, are you here?_

She floated out and smiled at him. _I am, Sacred One. It is a great pleasure to meet you. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I would meet the Sacred One._

_So you knew about me?_

_I had heard the legends, yes._

_Interesting. Tell me, why have you never told anyone your story?_

_Dumbledore…bind..no speak_ The words were spoken with obvious difficulty.

_You can't even tell my that you're not allowed to tell me?_

Myrtle shook her head. Harry's eyes narrowed in anger at the Headmaster. The man was evil incarnate.

_Don't worry, Myrtle, even though you can't tell your story, I can. And I'll find some way to free you of this curse. I'm going to guess the curse is also what ties you to this bathroom? Or is that a desire for retribution?_

Harry noticed the evil glint in Myrtle's eyes and assumed it was the latter of the options.

"I'm going to go visit Apophis, but I'll see you later."

"Bye, Harry, and thanks."

Harry nodded, then ordered the entrance to let him in. Thinking clearly this time, he requested moving stairs and had a much easier, and cleaner, descent into the Chamber.

He hurried through the labyrinthine pipes to see his familiar. He'd missed her. As soon as he entered the main chamber, he called to her.

_Apophis! I have come to visit you. _

Apophis slithered out of her den quickly, eager to see her human. It had been several months, and, despite their short acquaintance, she missed him.

_Harry, how nice of you to visit me. I heard the students return to school. Have you been busy?_

_I have not, but, to be honest, I did not think of visiting you at first. It was Luna's idea._

_You have a very intelligent mate._

Harry struggled, and failed, to contain his blush. _She's not my mate. She's a friend._

_She is your mate, Harry, someday you will see that. Now, are you here purely for a social visit?_

_Well, I was hoping you could help me learn the Old Language and the Ancient Knowledge you mentioned to me last year._

_Of course, Harry. That is a noble calling. However, I sense you have something else you wish to ask me._

_Yes, actually, there is. Do you know of Dementors?_

_I do._

_Is there any way to destroy them? Luna has a very strong reaction to their presence._

_I know only of a way to repel them. It is a spell in the Old Language._

_Can you teach it to me?_

_Indeed I can. It is not the best place to begin, as it is a rather difficult spell, but perhaps having a strong determination to learn it will help._

Harry nodded, taking in the information. _Do I need my wand?_

_No, Parselmagic, and spells from the Old Language do not require wands. The magic is pulled from within yourself. Now, first I would like you to try simply speaking the incantation. Do not attempt to bring your magic forth._

_Ok._

_The incantation is chreathuss bephoth. Try it._

Harry repeated the incantation several times. As he did so, he noticed a stirring from deep within him. He asked Apophis what the feeling meant.

_Your magic is trying to pull itself forth to create the magical protection for you._

_How will this magical protection work? You said it doesn't destroy the Dementor._

_No, it forces the Dementor to flee because the magical protection overloads it with life. Dementors feed off of happiness and positivity. These emotions are what truly give us life. Now, in the same way that a human cannot consume too much food without dying, a Dementor cannot consume too much of this life force without perishing. Therefore, in order to continue its existence, the Dementor must flee._

_So, how exactly does this magical protection get created? And what is it called?_

_You must understand, Harry, that the magic I teach you will not always have a name. It WILL always serve a purpose, however. This is one of those spells. It has no name. It is a magical protection against Dementors. As to how the protection is created, I do not understand your meaning._

_Well, where does the magical protection come from?_

_It comes from within you. When you speak the incantation, you must pull forth your magic and focus on whatever it is that makes your life worth living. In your case, I would suggest thinking of your family and your mate._

Harry blushed, but as he thought about it, he agreed that it was his family and Luna that made his life worth living.

_Are you ready to try the spell with magic now, Harry?_

_I think so._

_Very well. Speak the incantation and focus on the feeling of your magic pushing its way out. It will most likely take you a few tries._

Harry did as he was told. He spoke the incantation over and over, focusing on the stirring he felt deep within him. With each repetition, the feeling grew stronger. After about a minute, he felt as though he was going to explode. By instinct, he held the feeling back.

_Do not hold back, Harry. You are feeling your magic trying to escape and protect you. Let it. And as you do, focus on your life force._

Harry stopped trying to resist and just let go. His magic burst from him in a wave. He saw a dark grey mist coalesce in front of him. As he focused harder on Luna and his family, he saw the mist start to get bigger. He thought of how proud Luna would be and noticed the mist collecting together.

_Excellent, Harry. It is taking form._

This comment took Harry off guard and he stopped chanting. The mist disappeared, and Harry felt his magic snap back into place within him.

_What do you mean, it's taking form?_

_The magical protection, when created correctly and at its strongest will take the form of a creature. This creature will be able to chase away the Dementors rather than just repel them from you. That was extraordinary for a first time. However, I imagine you are rather tired now._

_Yes, definitely._

_These magics will take some getting used to. Your magical core is not used to being exercised in such a way. However, like any muscle, it will strengthen with time and practice. Perhaps for now we should work on learning the basics of Parseltongue Magic and the Old Language._

Apophis directed Harry to a book on Parseltongue Magic and a short book detailing the Old Language written by Salazar Slytherin himself. Harry also found _The Secrets of Magic_, which supposedly explained the basics of magic that most witches and wizards never learned.

_You had best return to the main castle, Harry, it is late. Take some time to read through those books and make sure to practice that spell every day. I hope to see you again soon._

_You most certainly will. I'll come visit again as soon as I've mastered this spell. Thanks for all of your help, Apophis._

_You are quite welcome, Harry._

By the time Harry made it back to his dormitory, it was nearly 2:00 AM. He decided to wait until the next day to review the books he had brought up.


	9. Quibbler Blood Status a Farce!

**AN: Thanks to SanityIsOverRatedGONUTS for the idea (better explanation at the end of the chapter, I don't want to spoil the surprise). Also, for those who are interested, I've created my own story site at rachelsstories(dot)weebly(dot)com. I've posted pictures that relate to my different stories, including what the Old Language looks like.****

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Chapter 9: Quibbler Article

**Blood Status a Farce!**

**By Hermione Granger**

In speaking with multiple so-called 'Pureblood' (heretofore referenced as 'all-magical parentage') witches and wizards, it became overtly obvious that the wizarding population has no remembrance of the foundation for the myriad prejudices perpetrated by demeaning names and superior attitudes.

As a Muggleborn witch, I found myself desperately trying to understand where the prejudices against all witches and wizards without all-magical parentage originated. My search led me to speak with many of my fellow Slytherins, as well as several students of other Hogwarts houses as well as conversing with their families by post.

What information I gleaned was troubling indeed. It would seem that the only fault found with Muggles is their lack of magic. Now, by this reasoning, there is no fault to be found with Muggleborn witches and wizards. However, this I found to be false.

Further inquiry into the matter led to a distressing discovery. It seems as though the fault found with Muggleborns is their lack of understanding of wizarding customs. As this is the case, I must ask, why are Muggleborns not taught wizarding customs?

The absolute least amount of time that a Muggleborn may have between being notified of his or her acceptance to Hogwarts and September 1st is one month; in most cases it is far more. This time, during which Muggleborns are typically left to their own devices, could be put to far better use teaching Muggleborns wizarding custom. Portkeys could be provided for these lessons, which could easily be held once a week on Saturdays or Sundays or even evenings. Perhaps even a required Wizard Studies class for first year students, as I find that not all wizarding families follow the same customs or are considered equals. However, I find myself rambling.

Now, surely, should this be done, Muggleborns would not be thought inferior to witches and wizards with all-magical parentage. Even then, however, I find that this would not be so. There lies the inherent inferiority perpetuated by such terms as 'Mudblood' and 'Pureblood'. I have heard these terms used often at Hogwarts.

These terms, I find, have long been known to be false. In present day, we are aware that magic resides in the soul, in the form of the magical core. However, before this discovery was made, it was believed that magic resided in the blood. This belief led to the terms 'Mudblood' (as it was believed that a Muggleborn witch or wizard had blood that was muddied by Muggle blood), 'Halfblood' (half non-magic blood, half magic blood), and 'Pureblood' (all magical blood).

Both the continued use of these terms after blood status was proven a false ideal, as well as the creation and use of these terms to begin with, are compelling evidence that there was an underlying prejudice towards Muggles and Muggleborn witches and wizards long before this time.

This led me to speak with the ghosts of Hogwarts in the hopes that, as they are older, they may be able to provide me with additional information. This search proved fruitful, indeed. I was able to trace two possible origins of the prejudice against Muggles and Muggleborn witches and wizards.

The first possible origin hearkens to the days of Merlin. According to legend, Merlin married a Muggleborn witch he fell in love with. She is said to have been extremely powerful. This marriage, however, is said to have made many of the older magical families jealous. Merlin was, obviously, the most eligible wizard of his age.

It was implied by the ghosts that the single women of the older magical families began spreading rumors about Merlin's wife. It was said about her that she was loose with her affections and rather uncultured. It was also said that Merlin only married her as she was easily controlled. This was a time of strong magical women, but submissive non-magical women. It is thought that Merlin's marriage is what started the trend among magical couples of the more submissive woman.

These rumors were written into the history books, as most writers of the time were women. These rumors were expanded upon to include all Muggleborn witches and wizards and eventually Muggles as well.

I came across the second possible origin in the Hogwarts library. I was directed there by Helena Ravenclaw, better known as the Grey Lady, ghost of Ravenclaw. She specifically recalled a book called _The Most Ancient History of Witches and Wizards _by Claudius Ptolemy.

I discovered that there only remain five copies the world over of this book. The copy at Hogwarts is very worn, despite obviously being protected by numerous preservation charms. This book details the very early history of humans, beginning with the first, most rudimentary settlements about 8,000 BC.

At this time, all humans were magical, and they remained so until the time of the Ancient Egyptians about 3,000 BC. About this time, a disease of unknown origin struck the world. Some humans survived with their magic intact, some died, and some lost their magic altogether. Those that retained their magic felt that the illness was a judgment set upon their world by the gods. Those that lost their magic were thought to have been found wanting. These humans were cast out of society and made slaves. They are the Muggles known today.

It is, however, Ptolemy's opinion, that the humans did not lose their magic, but rather their access to it, most likely caused by a near-death experience of sorts. Taking this opinion, I believe it is possible that this disease may have been attacking the magical core. Those with the absolute strongest cores were able to retain their magic, though possibly in a weakened state. Those with the weakest cores died, as too large a portion of their soul had been compromised to allow them to live. Those who survived but lost their magic had obviously not completely lost their magical cores, but had somehow had their magic bound, or so severely reduced that they were unable to use it, much in the same way as a Squib.

This phenomenon in the ancient world would explain so-called Muggleborns today. Perhaps all humans have a magical core of some strength, but simply do not have access to it. When two non-magical humans with strong magical cores give birth, their child's magical core is strong enough to break the genetic bonds on the magic and allow for a magical child. I would dearly love to test my theory on parents of Muggleborn children.

Perhaps an unbinding ceremony could be performed, thereby releasing their magic and providing them access to it. I am certain this new knowledge is something the Ministry, among others, will wish to investigate.

I truly hope that bringing this knowledge to light may help bring about a new era of thought in the wizarding world. In the same way that the English royal family has been known to marry commoners and accept commoners into their inner circle, so it is time for those with all-magical parentage to accept, mix with, and even marry those of partial magical or non-magical parentage.

Hermione finished reading her article in _The Quibbler_ with tears in her eyes. She was proud of her research. She had ordered a subscription for her parents as well, and they should have received this issue this morning. She estimated at least half of the student body of Hogwarts had received copies of _The Quibbler_ with the morning post. Their plan with the last article had worked well.

Luna had informed them about three days after the last issue that subscription was up by 300%. Half of the new subscribers were at Hogwarts, and her father guessed that most of the rest of the subscriptions were taken out by parents of Hogwarts students.

There was near silence in the hall as everyone read through Hermione's article, which was featured on the front page with a full-sized image of Ptolemy's book. The article itself featured images of ancient Egyptian wizards, Ptolemy, Helena Ravenclaw, and illustrations by Luna showing conceptualizations of magical cores.

There were even supplementary articles about the belief that magic resided in the blood and how it was proven false, an explanation of magical cores and how they powered witches and wizards, and Xenophilius' own thoughts about how certain stories about long-lived Muggles and extraordinary feats performed by Muggles in times of distress may simply be cases of Muggles with strong magical cores or Muggles performing accidental magic.

"You know, Mia," said Luna, dreamily. "Daddy said that this will be a great forerunner to the article about the founders. We really need to speak to Professor Binns soon as Daddy wants to run that article in the next issue, and it still needs to be written."

"We can talk to him this week," said Hermione. "I just hope this article does some good."

"Wow, Mia," said Draco, finally finishing the article. "I had no idea! This is amazing. You truly are brilliant, you know."

Hermione blushed. "Thanks, Dray."

Harry snickered at the nickname, but managed to keep it fairly silent. "You know, Mia, perhaps you could ask your parents if they would be interested in having the blood magic test. That would be the quickest and easiest way to look for a magical core."

"That's a good idea, Harry, but we don't know what an average non-magical human's magical core strength is."

"That's true," said Draco slowly, as an idea formed in his mind. "But we could test your parents first. If their core strength is zero, then there would be no place to go. However, if they have strong cores, or even weak cores, we could test some people who have not given birth to a witch or wizard, like those Muggles Harry lived with. I'm sure we could also surreptitiously test Muggles by claiming to be studying some Muggle disease and holding a clinic."

"Draco! Muggles aren't guinea pigs!"

"Huh?"

"Never mind, it's a Muggle saying. What I mean, though, is that we can't just round them up and test them."

"We could make it voluntary," put in Luna. "Run an advertisement in their newspaper, and offer two pounds to each person who offers their blood. I'm sure between the four of us we could come up with a plausible explanation for why we need it."

"That sounds reasonable. After all, we only need a few drops of blood. And it wouldn't cost us much. Each Galleon is worth about ten pounds right now."

"And I have plenty of Galleons. We could use the Potter money to fund it."

"Ooohh! We should ask Professor Snape if we could get school credit for this project!"

Draco only just managed to keep himself from rolling his eyes at his girlfriend. "Mia, you're already top of the class. However, if we have some good results, I'll ask father to use his influence to make sure you get recognition. I know that many times accomplishments by Muggleborns get overlooked, so I promise that won't happen."

Hermione blinked away tears. "Thank you, Draco. That means a lot to me." They shared a quick kiss before Harry sat up with an idea.

"Mia, I think you're right. I think we should speak to Professor Snape. If we do find interesting results, we would want the acknowledgement of the school to prove that we did the research, not someone else."

"Good point. Well, are we all finished with breakfast?" The friends all nodded to Hermione. "Then what are we waiting for? We have some letters to write."

**

* * *

**

AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's a bit of a filler as far as furthering the school year, but it's important to the story. As mentioned, thanks to SanityIsOverRatedGONUTS for the idea about the ancient world where all humans were magical.


	10. Classes

**Chapter 10: Classes**

The next morning, as the quartet walked up to the Great Hall for breakfast, they noticed that already Hermione's article seemed to be making a difference. A second-year Ravenclaw that Harry recognized as Muggleborn Anna Turpin tripped and dropped her books. It was a seventh-year Slytherin Prefect that helped her up and handed her her books.

"Th…thanks."

"You're quite welcome. Now, hurry on to the Great Hall, you wouldn't want to miss your breakfast." As the two students walked on, Hermione's face split into a giant grin.

"This is wonderful! It's working already!" They walked along, following the two students into the Great Hall.

"Well, when you absolutely annihilate a core belief system, it really gets people thinking," said Draco. "Slytherin first years were a great example. Remember how we all were when we found out you were Muggleborn?"

Hermione nodded, understanding what he meant, before helping herself to breakfast. She had long ago figured out that breakfast and lunch were much less formal meals than the feasts, with everyone simply helping themselves to what they wanted. Dinner was a little more formal, but still the dishes did not get passed around like at the feasts.

Hermione grew excited when Professor Snape started handing out their schedules. "I _do_ hope we start some new classes today!"

"As long as we don't have too much with Gryffindor. I don't see why they can't evenly distribute our classes between the other three houses, but we always seem to have more with the dorks." A few moments later, Professor Snape handed them their course schedules.

"And you're sure of this, Miss Granger?" he murmured quietly. Hermione nodded excitedly, and Professor Snape moved on.

"What was that about?" asked Draco. Hermione shrugged it off and attempted to hide her schedule.

"Which new subjects are you starting today, Mia?"

"Well, most of them, actually."

"That's not possible, you only have eight class blocks a day, and I know you're in my Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Potions classes which are two blocks, and History of Magic which is one."

"Yeah, and Mia, you're in my Care of Magical Creatures class which is a block as well. That's the entire day. So how do you also fit in anything else?"

Hermione blushed. "Well, my schedule is a bit full, but I can handle it."

Draco used her momentary distraction to grab her schedule. "Merlin, Mia, your schedule is impossible. Nine o'clock, Divination; nine o'clock, Muggle studies; _and_ nine o'clock, Arithmancy. I know you're an amazing witch, Mia, but no one's _that_ good. How are you supposed to be in three classes at once?"

"Don't be silly, Draco. Of course I won't be in three classes at once."

"Mia, how do you intend to attend all of your classes?" Draco put his arm around her and pulled her close. "I know you have a tendency to overwork, and I don't want you to harm your health."

Hermione leaned into Draco. "Don't worry, Dray, I won't."

"But Mia," Draco brushed a kiss against her lips. "How can I help make sure you don't work too hard if I don't know how you're planning to manage your schedule?"

Hermione sighed and smiled, and Draco was sure he'd won. "I appreciate your concern, Draco, but I'll be fine, really. I've worked everything out with Professor Snape. Now, please pass the marmalade."

Knowing better than to push her buttons, Draco relented, and consigned himself to trying to figure out the mystery on his own.

***SoaS***

Their classes the next two days went well. Potions provided hilarity as Weasley diced his caterpillar instead of slicing it and caused the entire potion to explode in his face. He had obviously gotten most of the potion correct, as certain features of his face started shrinking. His nose looked as though it belonged on an infant, he had the mouth of a toddler, and his hair had shortened to fuzz. His ears had remained the same size, however.

As the class exploded in laughter, Professor Snape rounded on him. "Idiot boy! I would have expected this from Longbottom, but I thought that you knew how to _read_, Weasley. Why did you _dice_ your caterpillar when the board quite clearly calls for _sliced_ caterpillar?"

Weasley's answer came out in a high-pitched, baby voice, which had the class roaring in laughter, even the Gryffindors. "Finnigan! Take Weasley to the hospital wing. Longbottom! Clean up the mess, you need the practice." Harry and Draco chuckled over Weasley's misfortune as they finished up their perfectly prepared potion.

Harry had decided to speak to Hagrid during his first ever Care of Magical Creatures class. Hermione would be there to help him. Therefore, after lunch, they walked down to Hagrid's hut a few minutes early.

"Harry! Hermione! It's good to see yer. Excited for my class, then, eh?"

"Oh, most definitely. Magical creatures are fascinating! I can't wait to learn about house elves, unicorns, and nifflers."

"Righ' well, we'll be covering those soon enough. For today, though, I've got a righ' treat for yer all. I won' be tellin' yer early, though, if tha's what yer here abou'."

"Actually, Hagrid, I had a question for you about the events of last year." Hagrid stared at Hermione incredulously. "I researched the previous opening of the Chamber of Secrets, and there wasn't all that much information. I know that it was opened while you were attending Hogwarts. Were any students petrified during the period it was open?"

"Er…well, you see, I don' really like talkin' about it."

"It's an easy question, Hagrid, a simple yes or no, really." Harry grinned at Hermione. She was trying to put Hagrid at ease.

"Well, yes, there were a few."

"And Acromantuala's certainly can't petrify anyone, right?"

Hagrid grunted and nodded jerked his head. They took that as a no.

"So, even at that point if should have been obvious that it was not your fault?" Hagrid's eyes jerked to hers and he stared at her wildly. "So, why were you expelled, Hagrid?"

"I don' want to talk abou' that now. Dumbledore didn' have enough influence to keep me in school then. And now that me name's been cleared, he's lettin' me teach. I even got a raise! Great man, Dumbledore."

"So is that why you're so close to the Headmaster, Hagrid?" asked Harry.

"He's been very good to me over the years. Almost like a father." Harry sighed, he knew he would need more time to change Hagrid's opinion. He was saved the trouble of saying anything else as the other students in the class started to gather. He was pleasantly surprised when they made it through a class on Hippogriphs without incident.

As his attempted talk with Hagrid was such a disaster, and he needed a story for his _Quibbler_ article next month, Harry decided to try talking to Professor Binns. The ghost had been reinstated to his duties once he had been revived. Harry was now rather thankful for this turn of events, although, at the end of last year, he had rather bemoaned the fact.

He sat through a very long, very _boring_ lecture on giant wars before Professor Binns finally dismissed the class. Before the ghost had a chance to float through the wall behind its desk, Harry called out.

"PROFESSOR BINNS!" When the ghost turned to look at him, he continued. "May I have a word with you, Sir?"

"Of course, Mr. Painter."

Harry walked up to the desk, imagining this would be a long conversation. "It's _Potter_, Sir, as I'm sure you know, considering you teach my history to the older years."

Harry could have sworn the ghost smiled at him. "Very well, Mr. Potter, you are right. What can I help you with?"

"I wanted to ask you some more questions about the lecture on the Chamber of Secrets that you gave us last year." Professor Binns frowned, and Harry hastily continued. "I was wondering how you knew about the marriages between the founders? My friend, Hermione Granger, has researched the information, completely exhausting the resources in the library, and was unable to find anything referring to it."

"No, she wouldn't have. The rivalry between the houses, and the alienation of Slytherin house in particular, have caused the close bonds between the founders of Hogwarts to be lost over time. The only reason I know about it is that I was born when it was still common knowledge."

Harry gaped at his Professor. "Sir, forgive me if I am rude, but just how old _are_ you?"

"I was born in 1150. I began teaching here in 1200, and I have never been dismissed. As I mentioned, naturally, when I was born, the marriages of the founders was still well known, as was the true reason for Salazar Slytherin leaving the castle and his wife and children."

"Children?"

"Well, yes, obviously. How can there be any descendants of Salazar Slytherin if he did not have children. He had three children…" Harry settled down for a long conversation, and took copious notes. This would be brilliant for the article. Professor Binns even provided him some documentation of proof of his age. He would have to speak with Luna about revealing her relation to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor as further proof of the story, as he was not yet ready to reveal his own heritage.

"Professor, just two more questions," said Harry as Professor Binns finished his story.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"First, why did you continue teaching?"

"Well, I rather enjoyed it, and there isn't exactly anything pressing for me to do is there?"

Harry thought about that for a moment, he supposed it made sense. "Very well, then, also, you have such a brilliant grasp on all magical history, including history of present day, so I know it's not because it's been repeated over the years. Why do you always pretend not to know the names of your students?"

"Well, Mr. Potter, I must have _some_ fun." Before Harry could say anything more, Professor Binns turned and floated through the wall."

"Huh," murmured Harry. "I never knew Professor Binns had a sense of humor.

***SoaS***

Harry spent most of Saturday writing an article for the _Quibbler_ with the help of his friends. It was thought that having _Harry Potter_, 'The Boy Who Lived' write something would help lend credibility to the publication in the eyes of the readers. They had dealt a strong blow to the Pureblood ideals with Hermione's article, now Harry wanted to let out that Slytherin himself was _not_ a Pureblood supremist at all. He had a solid outline, and was just about to start writing the actual article when a large, noble looking barn owl wearing a medal with the Gringotts crest soared in an open window and landed on his knees.

"Harry, I didn't know you were expecting something."

"I'm sorry, Mia, I'd forgotten all about it. Ragnock told me he would provide me with an itemized listing of the Potter vaults as well as information about classes on Goblin etiquette."

"Ooooh, that sounds fascinating! Could I join you?"

"Mia, dearest, I don't think you have any time in your busy schedule. You're already working ten times harder than the rest of us. You could always take the classes next year, or Harry could catch you up during holidays."

"All right, Dray, I suppose that is the best idea. So, Harry, when will your classes be?" Harry smiled at how she had _almost_ succeeded in keeping the envy out of her voice.

He carefully untied the package from the owl's legs. "Would you like a treat before you leave? Or perhaps some water?" The owl nipped his finger lightly, which Harry took to be a thank you, before spreading its wings and leaving through the window it had entered. "I guess that's a 'no, thank you' from an owl." He carefully unwrapped the package and pulled out two books on Goblin etiquette, a small, red book with a crest on the front, and a letter. He placed the books on the table in front of him as Luna sat on the arm of the chair to his right, then he opened the letter.

_To: Lord Harry Potter_

_Slytherin House Common Room_

_Hogwarts_

_Scotland_

_Lord Potter,_

_As per our most recent meeting, I inquired as to the possibility of your taking classes on Goblin etiquette. Unfortunately, I found that no such classes are, or will be, offered. However, I have found that several volumes exist on the basics of Goblin culture, Goblin beliefs, and Goblin etiquette. I have enclosed the two that I have procured thus far, and charged the fee to the Potter account. Goblin Culture at its Finest by Goblin Pikaks was 40 Galleons, and The Importance of the Hoard by Goblin Rugnick was 52 Galleons. I am currently searching for An Introduction to Our Marvelous Culture by Goblin Gublack and Goblin Etiquette by Goblin Porlarg. _

_I have also enclosed a full, itemized list of the Potter vaults, as requested. The list has been separated into chapters by the type of asset. As interest is added, or, should any extra artifacts be added to the vault, the record will automatically update. _

_If you have any further questions, the Goblins of Gringotts are more than happy to help. I look forward to continuing the management of your accounts. May you magic always run true._

_Goblin Ragnock_

_Manager, Potter Account_

_Gringotts Bank, London Branch_

"Separated by chapters?" asked Hermione, who had been reading over his shoulder. "So, that whole book is full of Potter assets? Merlin, just how much stuff was in their vault?"

Harry grinned and picked up the book. "Let's find out, shall we?" Curious, Draco stood behind the chair Harry was in. Harry grabbed the book off of the table before him, and took another look at it. He realized the crest he had only glanced at before was actually the Potter crest.

He opened the book and read the faceplate: _A carefully compiled, automatic updating, itemized list of the holdings of the Potter vault (vault 832)._ Turning the page, he quickly read through the _Contents_ page.

_Liquid Assets: 5,778,890 Galleons_

_Jewelry: 2,438,065 Galleons_

_Rings_

_Necklaces_

_Tiaras_

_Bracelets_

_Brooches_

_Medals_

_Books: 1,008,539 Galleons_

_Grimoires_

_History_

_Charms_

_Transfiguration_

_Potions_

_Dark Arts_

_Defense_

_Arithmancy_

_Runes_

_Other_

_Furniture: 873,412 Galleons_

_Chairs_

_Chests_

_Boxes_

_Dishes, Cutlery, Etc: 327,109 Galleons_

_Decorative_

_Special Occasion_

_Precious Metal_

_Forms, Deeds, Etc: 6,535,439 Galleons_

_Wills_

_Property Deeds_

_Birth/Death Certificates_

_Blood Magic Test Results_

_Personal Letters_

_Décor: 85,439 Galleons_

_Tapestries_

_Artwork_

_Sculptures _

_Weaponry: 165,486 Galleons_

_Swords_

_Shields_

_Helms_

_Armor_

_Potions: 92,572 Galleons_

_Cleaning_

_Poison_

_Healing_

_Dark_

_Love_

_Antidote_

_Other_

_Clothing: 827 Galleons_

_Cloaks_

_Robes_

_Dresses_

_Artifacts: 1,937 Galleons_

_Muggle_

_Animal_

_Magical_

"Wow, that's a lot of stuff. I need some time to process this before I read through it all." Harry stared at the quick listing of his different types of assets. It amazed him that so much stuff was in the Potter vault.

"Harry," said Luna. "Could we at least look at one or two pages? Liquid assets, deeds, potions, weaponry, or jewelry? I'm really curious to see what kinds of things lords keep in their vaults."

Harry grinned. "All right, Luna. Let's start with rings, shall we?" The moment he spoke, the pages started flipping, until stopping at a page titled _Subcategory: Rings_. "Well, that will make things easier." Harry quietly read the page to his friends.

_Gryffindor Crest Ring (Masculine)_

_Gryffindor Crest Ring (Feminine)_

_Potter Crest Ring (Masculine)_

_Potter Crest Ring (Feminine)_

_Ancient Potter Engagement Ring_

_Ancient Potter Wedding Band (Masculine)_

_Ancient Potter Wedding Band (Feminine)_

_Modern Potter Engagement Ring_

_Modern Potter Wedding Band (Masculine)_

_Modern Potter Wedding Band (Masculine)_

_Wizengamot Ring_

_Lord Ring_

_Lady Ring_

_White Gold Diamond Ring _

_Gold Diamond Ring_

_White Gold Sapphire Ring _

_Platinum Sapphire Ring_

_Gold Garnet Ring_

Harry flipped the page and saw that the list continued down another page and a half. "Well, I think that gives us a good idea of rings. I guess we can move on to deeds." The book automatically flipped to the page titled _Subcategory: Deeds_.

_Potter Manor (located in Northern England) _

_Potter House (Located in Southern England)_

_Potter Villa (located on the Northern coast of France)_

_Potter Castle (located at the center of Spain)_

_Peverell Manor (located in Wales)_

_Peverell House (located in Southwestern England)_

_Evans Home (located in Northern England)_

Harry stopped reading, wondering why there were deeds for properties listed that weren't included in his original list of assets. He shrugged and decided he would ask Ragnock next time he was at Gringotts. "I wish I could have more information about the houses. I mean, the names don't really tell me much."

"Try asking for it again."

"Oh, right, thanks, Luna. Details on Potter Manor." The book flipped to the next page, which was blank, but slowly filled in. Harry read the information.

_Potter Manor_

_Location: Near Oldham_

_Built: 1290_

_Land: 500 acres_

_Garden: 3 acres_

_Size of Manor: 460 sq. m_

_Master Bedrooms: 3_

_Bedrooms: 6_

_Ensuite Bathrooms: 4_

_Bathrooms: 3_

_Washrooms: 2_

_Sitting Rooms: 2_

_Dining Room: 1 (seats 10)_

_Dining Hall: 1 (seats 30)_

_Offices: 2_

_Library_

_Ballroom_

_Conservatory_

_Portrait Hall_

_Potions Laboratory_

_Sparring Room_

_Armory_

_Quidditch Pitch_

_Pool_

_Lake_

_House Elves: 6_

_Floo Connections: 3_

"Nice manor, Harry, I think it's a bit bigger than Malfoy Manor."

"Wow, when you put it that way, that's huge!"

"Definitely, Harry. You should visit some of your properties during the holidays. Maybe ask Ragnock for some Portkeys."

"Yeah, I think I will. Thanks, Luna. For now, one last page. Um, show me Love Potions." The book once again flipped to the proper page, titled _Subcategory: Love Potions_.

"I can't believe they kept a store of love potions. What would they need them for? Aren't they banned?"

"Yes, most of them are, Mia, but some of the weaker ones are still accepted as joke potions."

"Oh, well, what do the have, Harry?" Harry looked down at the page and read the short list.

_Amortentia: 6 vials (2 doses each), under stasis charm, no expiration_

_Lust Potion: 20 vials (one dose each), under stasis charm, no expiration_

_Pink Haze: 3 vials (2 doses each), expired_

_Rose Glasses: 5 vials (1 dose each), expiration expected within 1 year_

_Forget-Me-Not: 1 vial (5 doses), under stasis charm, no expiration_

"I've never heard of most of these, do you think they are personal inventions?"

"Hard to say, Luna. Perhaps. Maybe someday we can get a few and decipher the recipe. We could probably make a fortune."

"As if you need it, Harry."

"Shut it, Draco." They all sat quietly for a moment, contemplating what they had discovered. There was no doubt that they would be able to easily accomplish their goals of testing Muggles for magical cores.

After sitting in silence for several minutes, Harry rose. "I think I'm going to go to bed. All of this information is overwhelming, and I need some time to digest it." His friends all said good-night, and Luna even gave him a hug before he went to bed.

As he lay in bed, Harry thought about everything he had learned, and figured, as his brain was already full to bursting, and he wouldn't be falling asleep any time soon, he may as well read one of the books Ragnock had sent. He picked up the top one, _The Importance of the Hoard_ and turned to the first page.

_The Hoard, An Overview_

_The Hoard is a Goblin's all. It is sacred. There are not words enough to explain exactly how precious a Hoard is. A Goblin without a Hoard is nothing. The Goblin's entire status is dependent upon the size of said Goblin's hoard. When Goblin young are born, the youngling's parents make a contribution to the youngling's Hoard, as do the youngling's closest relatives. On average, a youngling's Hoard is about 100 Galleons. This Hoard, naturally, means almost nothing, however, a youngling will carry the status of its parents until it reaches maturity around age 10. _

_By age 7, many younglings work menial jobs, contributing every Knut earned to their Hoard, to further their chances of a decent career when they are older. Younglings born to parents with extremely large Hoards (upwards of 10,000 Galleons) have an advantage in life, as they are able to learn the careers of Forging and Metalsmithing. Younglings born to poor parents (Hoards smaller than 1,500 Galleons) are often consigned to a life of mining. _

_As Hoards determine the type of job a Goblin will be offered, the Hoard system creates a vicious circle. Those Goblins who start life with larger Hoards will be offered higher paying careers, and, thus, can increase their Hoards easily and rapidly. Those Goblins who start life with smaller Hoards, are offered lower paying careers, assuming they get offered careers at all, and, thus, find it extremely difficult to form Hoards of any decent value. _

_When a Goblin dies, the Goblin's Hoard is divided between the heirs evenly. For some Goblins, this is a sizable addition, for others, not so much. These inheritances are common knowledge, and are often even boasted about. Goblins will boast about the size of their Hoard the way Wizards will boast about the size of their house, or the number of Elves they own. Despite the boasting, Goblins do not steal from Hoards. The punishment for stealing, or attempting to steal, or even **considering **stealing from a Hoard is death by Dragon Fire, a most unpleasant way to die._

As Harry stopped and considered what he had read, he understood exactly why Ragnock had reacted the way he had. Harry slowly formed a plan. If Ragnock's Hoard was massive, he stood a chance of running Gringotts in the next year or so, or at least being on their board. Harry could definitely use that kind of influence. He would have to think it over more, and he would definitely have to research Gringotts hierarchy and positions, but he thought he could pull this off.

***SoaS***

When classes resumed on Monday, Harry was especially looking forward to Transfiguration that afternoon and Defense Against the Dark Arts the following day. Some of the older students had informed him that Transfiguration improved by leaps and bounds after second year, and everyone who had been taught by Professor Lupin so far said he was a much better teacher than those of the previous two years.

After lunch, Harry, Hermione, and Draco all headed up to the Transfiguration classroom, while Luna went back to the Slytherin common room for her free period. Professor McGonagall had gone back to treating Harry normally after he had confronted her the year before, and he was once again on very good terms with her. As such, he and his friends sat at the front of the room.

She started the class by turning into a Tabby cat and back. They all applauded loudly, then quieted down as she went over their lessons for the year (animal transfiguration) and started with a basic lecture on Animagi. They took notes the entire lesson on the proper wand movements and proper incantations. Harry only gave Professor McGonagall half of his attention as he considered just how cool it would be to become an animagus. He wondered how long it took.

As he and his friends left the class, Harry brought up his idea. "Wouldn't it be awesome to be an animagus?"

"Definitely," said Draco, enthusiastically. "Think of everything we could get away with."

"Well, you have to register with the Ministry of Magic, so I doubt you could get away with too much."

"Aww, Mia, don't ruin it."

"Do you think we could become Animagi?"

"Not all wizards have an Animagi form, Harry. It's typically only the most powerful."

Draco scoffed. "Yeah, like we aren't powerful."

"Well…That's true. I suppose I could do some research. I'm sure it would be fascinating!"

"Don't overwork yourself, Mia."

"Don't worry, Dray. We need to do some research for our homework anyway."

"Well, then I suppose that's ok. What forms do you think we'll have?" Their musings took them through the rest of they day, as they considered which animal they would prefer to be. Luna was equally enthusiastic about the idea, and couldn't wait to get started. She offered to help Hermione with the research, as she was very interested in the subject, and thought it was a great way to get ahead in her studies.

Harry was still contemplating possible forms the next day as he, Hermione, and Draco entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Professor Lupin stood at the front of the room, going through some notes, and looking as shabby as ever. As the students entered the room, they all pulled out what they felt would be necessary for the lesson. As the bell rang signaling the beginning of class, he glanced up smiled.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands." This announcement elicited a few curious looks as the students did as they were told. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.

When the rustling of movement had stopped, Professor Lupin walked around his desk and stood at the door to the room. "Right then, follow me, everyone." The class filed out of the room and followed behind their professor, each wondering where they were going and what they would be doing. They were very surprised when they were led into the, currently empty, staffroom.

"Now then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall. "Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin, despite the fact that not a single student looked bothered.

"There's a Boggart in there. Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces like wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks – I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice. Now, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what _is_ a Boggart?"

Several people raised their hands, including, predictably, Hermione. When she was selected, her answer was short and succinct. "It's a shape-shifter. It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. "So, the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Bogggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears."

Hermione put up her hand again.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Why hasn't anyone simply cast the _Perspicuus_ charm to see what it looks like?"

"Ah, yes, the one-sided transparency charm. Well, there are multiple reasons. To begin with, that charm is incredibly complex, and not many witches or wizards learn it. There is also the matter of the Boggart sensing the magic casting it and transforming anyway."

"So, basically, no one in history has _ever _tried it or made it work?"

"I don't know about trying it, but we do not have any record of it working." Hermione huffed, obviously unsatisfied with that answer. "To continue," said Professor Lupin. "We have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Mr. Potter?"

Harry rolled his eyes. What an easy question. "Because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be."

"Precisely," said Professor Lupin. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake – he tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening." The students looked at each other, wondering if they would ever get past the lecture.

"The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is _laughter_. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please…_riddikulus_!"

"Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical." The room went quiet. Harry thought, _what scared him most in the world?_ He thought of Vernon Dursley, who had been so cruel to him as a child, but he knew he could deal with that oaf easily now. His thoughts turned to the Dementors on the train, but he was already working on a way to take care of them. He couldn't think of what scared him. He had, after all, been through so much already in his life. He supposed that the Boggart would tell him a bit about himself.

"Everyone ready?" asked Professor Lupin. Everyone nodded their heads and rolled up their sleeves, ready to do battle with the Boggart. "Good, now, I'd like a single file line, please." Hermione was the first in line, followed by Draco, Vince, then Greg. Harry stood at the end of the line, trying to think of what scared him most. "Miss Granger, we're going to give you some room to allow the Boggart to focus on you. I'll call the next person forward after you have performed the spell." They all retreated against the walls, leaving Hermione alone beside the wardrobe.

"On the count of three, Miss Granger," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One – two – three – now!" A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. After a moment, a nondescript witch dressed in fine clothing (obviously meant to be a Pureblood) stepped from the wardrobe. She rounded on Hermione, practically yelling.

"You'll never be one of us, you filthy little Mudblood! How dare you even _think_ to associate with our kind? The Sorting Hat _obviously_ made a mistake, placing you in Slytherin."

The witch pulled out a wand, at which point Hermione stood tall, aimed, and shouted, "RIDDIKULUS!" The false wand exploded and the witch shrieked about her loss of magic. The class shared an uneasy chuckle.

"Mr. Malfoy! Forward." Hermione scurried out of the way to the back of the line. Draco stepped forward and gulped as, with a loud crack, the Boggart transformed into a perfect replica of Lucius Malfoy, who began enumerating the ways he was disappointed of Draco.

With a determined glint in his eye, Draco cast the charm and Lucius suddenly found himself unable to speak. As the class laughed, Greg was called forward. With a crack, the Boggart turned into a very large version of their end-of-year report. All of the grades were D's. With only a moment's hesitation, Greg flicked his wand and the paper folded itself into a paper airplane that glided around the room.

Harry watched as each student was called forward. Greg took the legs off of a giant spider, Pansy gave a rattlesnake a baby's rattle, Millicent turned a rat's tail into a snake that ate it, Theodore put a muzzle on a werewolf, and Daphne trapped a Hippogriff back inside the egg it would have been born from. Finally, only Blaise remained before him. The Boggart turned into a venomous tentacula, which Blaise had tie itself in knots.

"Mr. Potter! Your turn at last." Harry stepped forward, curious to see what the Boggart would become. He was unprepared for what he saw. With a crack, a terrified Luna appeared with a Dementor hovering over her. The anger and terror waging war inside Harry fueled his spell, and with a roared RIDDIKULUS!, the Boggart exploded. The class, which had been murmuring, silenced instantly.

There were several long moments without sound before Professor Lupin cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I had hoped to try this lesson with the other three houses, but I suppose they will have to wait until I find another Boggart. Now, five points to Slytherin for every person to tackle the Boggart – ten for Harry and Hermione because they also answered my questions. Very good lesson, everyone. For homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me, to be handed in next lesson. That will be all."

As the students turned to leave, Professor Lupin cleared his throat again. "Mr. Potter, a word, please." Harry swallowed nervously, remembering the last time a professor had kept him after class.

However, he turned away from his classmates and walked back to the professor. "Is something wrong, Professor Lupin?"

"Not at all, Mr. Potter. I merely wished to tell you how impressed I was by that display of magic. It's not very common for a third year to destroy a Boggart with a single attempt. You will be a very powerful wizard some day."

_I already am_, thought Harry. "Thank you, Sir."

"I couldn't help but notice that your Boggart featured Miss Lovegood. As I recall, she had an extreme reaction to the Dementor on the train, is that correct?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Mr. Potter, considering the level of magic just displayed, I would like to offer my help in tutoring you about the repelling of Dementors. I should have some time in November, if you would like to work with me."

"What would I be learning, Sir?" Harry was suspicious of why someone he had been warned against would now be offering him lessons so freely.

"It's called the Patronus charm. When performed correctly, it will drive away Dementors."

Harry considered this for a moment. It sounded a lot like the protection charm Apophis had been teaching him. He figured that meant it would be easy to learn. If he accepted, he would also be able to find out exactly what Professor Lupin was up to. "All right, Professor, I appreciate the offer, and I accept."

"Excellent, Mr. Potter. When I have an opening in my schedule, I will let you know." As Harry left the room, Remus' smile became predatory. "I shall lure him back to our side, yet," he whispered.

**AN: So, another long chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. I know some of it seems like filler, but it will become more important later. Please forgive me if my information about the manor house wasn't entirely correct, I did some research, but there's not a lot of information, and I don't exactly know much about true Manors**


	11. Quibbler Founding Friendships

**Founding Friendships**

**By Harry Potter**

We all know that Hogwarts was founded around 1,000 AD by Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Godric Gryffindor. It is also known that they were the smartest, most powerful witches and wizards of the age. Hogwarts castle, and her abilities, is a testament to that fact.

And, of course, we all know that after a huge fight between Salazar Slytherin and the rest of the founders about allowing students without all-magical backgrounds to attend Hogwarts, Salazar left without a word and was virtually lost to history. Right?

WRONG!

Much of what we know about the founders after the founding of Hogwarts is based on the book _Hogwarts: A History_. It may surprise many that the first edition was written by none other than Helga Hufflepuff. _An interesting fact_, you may think, _but what does that really matter?_ It matters because Helga Hufflepuff was writing the book as, from her point of view, a woman scorned. _Hogwarts: A History_ was, effectively, her revenge on her husband.

For those who have not read _Hogwarts: A History_, I first seriously suggest you do so, but also allow me to give you a brief idea of what it contains on the founders. It explains how, because of the ill feeling between magical and non-magical humans at the time, the founders decided to found a school to teach young witches and wizards to control their magic, and thus lessen the chance of discovery. They also viewed it as a way to help teach witches and wizards with non-magical parents about magic, and to help remove them from what were often poor home environments.

Now, we are led to believe that not long after Hogwarts opened, Salazar Slytherin decided he no longer wished to admit students from non-magical families, which led to his eventually leaving Hogwarts, never to return. Not once within the book are we treated to any personal information about the founders, even that which would have an impact on the school, like their marriages.

The reason for this omission: Helga Hufflepuff wanted to strike her marriage from history at the time she wrote the first edition. Because of her anger, her marriage was, in fact, slowly lost to history. Because of this, the marriage of her friends Rowena and Godric was lost as well.

By now you are most likely beginning to gather the pieces. Helga Hufflepuff was wife to Salazar Slytherin, and Rowena Ravenclaw was wife to Godric Gryffindor. How did this information come to light? The information was revealed to me by none other than Professor Cuthbert Binns, the current professor of History of Magic at Hogwarts. In fact, he has been the History of Magic professor since 1,200 AD (see page 9 for his official offer of employment, dated 1,199 AD). As you can imagine, the knowledge of the founders' marriages had not yet been lost to history when Professor Binns began teaching. He has adapted his teaching over the years to reflect the so-called "acceptable" information. Omitting the founders' marriages from the curriculum was one example of this.

The information was first brought to light last year, when a Dracolisk from Salazar Slytherin's legendary Chamber of Secrets was released and set upon the students. In response to questions from then second-year Slytherin student, Hermione Granger, Professor Binns told the following story:

_You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago — the precise date is uncertain — by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution. For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. _

_Salazar Slytherin was married to Helga Hufflepuff, just as Godric Gryffindor was married to Rowena Ravenclaw. Slytherin and his wife started a yearly tradition that Gryffindor and Ravenclaw soon joined as well. They took summer trips to faraway lands searching for new knowledge to pass on to their eager students. During these trips, the four friends amassed a large wealth of knowledge, both magical and mundane. Slytherin, ever cunning, realized just how much power came with the knowledge they had amassed. He realized how dangerous the combined knowledge could make someone who was not pure in his or her intentions, so he tried to convince the other founders to hide the knowledge away and never let any one student learn it all._

_Now, Slytherin especially warned against those students who showed an interest in learning all of the information, as he mistrusted the desire for so much information from ones so young. These eager students were typically Muggleborns who were, most likely, just trying to learn more about the new world they were part of. Now, when the three other founders refused to hide the information, and instead started to make plans to make it available to all, Slytherin left the school, unwilling to stay where he was unable to protect the students from themselves. _

_The story goes that Slytherin protected the knowledge by building a chamber that the other founders knew nothing of. It is said he protected this chamber with a deadly creature, only controllable by his true heir. The heir alone would be able to find and unseal the Chamber of Secrets, tame the creature within, and gain the knowledge concealed within the chamber to become the most powerful witch or wizard of the age._

Since that point, it has, in fact been proven that there is a Chamber of Secrets, although it is impossible to know if the ancient knowledge is still stored within. However, this lends credence to Professor Binns' story. It also explains how easily Helga Hufflepuff was able to mold the story to make Salazar Slytherin appear to be an elitist Pureblood bigot.

To further prove this story, the editor of this fine paper, Mr. Xenophilius Lovegood, is willing to share that his deceased wife was descended of Rowena Ravenclaw and Godric Gryffindor, and, by extension, so is their daughter. A Blood Magic test confirmed this result.

So, with Professor Binns' story confirmed, we are left with an interesting view of the founders, one completely at odd with what we thought we knew. Salazar Slytherin did not hate witches and wizards with non-magical parents, nor did he feel that they should be kept from learning magic, he merely distrusted students who showed an unusual amount of interest in gathering knowledge (and, by extension, power). Would any of us today feel any differently?

Unfortunately, while we have lost track of all of the present day descendants of the founders, we do have information as to their children and grandchildren. (see page 11 for their family tree) Godric and Rowena had five children, three boys and two girls. Salazar and Helga had three children (Helga was pregnant when Salazar left the school), a boy and two girls. Surprisingly, considering how powerful the children must have been, none of their children intermarried, and the lines remain separate today, as far as we know.

One of Godric and Rowena's daughters married a non-magical Lord and had five children. The other daughter married an influential wizard and had three children. Their boys all married witches of varying standings. Salazar and Helga's elder daughter married a Wizard lord and had eight children, and their son married an orphan witch he met and fell in love with at Hogwarts. Their younger daughter never married, instead deciding to devote her life to healing. It was she who developed the _Episkey_ spell.

With those endings, you may wonder, what, exactly, happened to Helga and Salazaar. Those endings, unfortunately, are much grimmer. Helga, having had her heart broken, devoted her life to the healing profession, and, in fact, made many remarkable discoveries, even inventing Skele-grow.

Salazar Slytherin vanished for several decades, before resurfacing on the continent in Spain. He was a successful Potions Master, providing the local witches and wizards with many potions of his own invention. He never again set foot in Britain. It is believed that he went to his grave thinking his wife would never forgive him for leaving.

With this new information in your arsenal of knowledge, you must now ask yourself some questions. Can life continue as it was with all of the new discoveries brought to light this year? Can we continue to base power and status on whether or not your parents were magical? Can Slytherin house continue on its path knowing the truth about their founder? The world is changing, I know I can feel it, and I'm certain many others can as well.

"Harry, that's a very good article."

"Thanks, Mia. It wasn't as good as yours though. I think people will read mine out of curiosity for the information. People read yours because of the quality of the writing."

"Nonsense, Harry. You wrote an amazing article. Thanks for helping me in my crusade to change the world." The all grinned. She really was affecting change, and far more than they had initially believed possible. Before anyone could voice these opinions, however, a large tawny owl flew down in front of Luna.

"Hello, Ory. What has Daddy sent me?" The owl held out its leg to Luna, who untied the letter. "Do you want to stay, Ory, or do you have to go right back?" The owl hooted and nibbled her ear before flying off. "I guess that answers that question."

Luna opened the letter and scanned it quickly, her smile widening as she did so.

"Good news, Luna?"

"Yes, Harry. Daddy said he's gotten so many subscription requests that he'll need to buy a second printing machine. He can't keep up with demand. It seems everyone wants to read what the Boy Who Lived wrote."

Harry groaned. "Just what I need. I'm glad it's helping your father, though, Luna."

"Thanks, Harry." There was a moment of silence between the friends. "So, who's writing next month's article?"


	12. 2nd Lupin Interlude

**AN: I've had this written for a while. I know this is short, and I'm sure people are hoping for a 'real' chapter soon, but I have been lacking inspiration. Next chapter will be a 'real' one, and long, I just don't know when I will post it.**

**Chapter 12: Lupin Interlude**

As Harry, Luna, Draco, and Hermione left the Great Hall after finishing breakfast, they were mobbed by witches of different ages all begging Harry for his autograph.

"Would you sign my _Quibbler_ Harry?"

"Harry, please sign your article!"

"Could you sign _my_ magazine, Harry?"

"Harry, could I have a kiss?"

"Oh, me too!"

"Could I take a picture with you, Harry?"

"Harry, if I take a picture, would you sign it?"

"Oh, Harry, if I make a poster sized picture, would you sign _that_?"

"Harry, could I have a picture of you giving me a kiss!"

"Harry, please let me have a hug. I'm in your Ancient Runes class, remember?"

Luna and Hermione were trying not to giggle, while Harry and Draco were frozen on the spot, flabbergasted. Harry was completely overwhelmed by the girls yelling and shoving. He had no idea what to do. Finally, for lack of any better idea, he turned and ran, chased by his adoring fans.

As his friends were trying to catch up to him, Dumbledore sat in his throne-like chair, desperately trying to contain his anger. Harry was destroying all of his plans. Every bit of fame Harry gained was fame he, Albus Dumbledore, no longer had. He was supposed to be the most famous wizard, not that brat!

Fuming, he left the head table, and told Remus to meet him in his office in ten minutes. Dumbledore needed a moment to calm down, to ensure he didn't do anything stupid. Remus knew the folly of being late, and, as such, knocked on the Headmaster's door precisely ten minutes later. The moment the door had closed behind him, Albus began his rant.

"That brat is ruining _everything_! _How_ am I supposed to make the world believe he is unbalanced and possibly dangerous when he can write such cohesive, informative articles? Every bit of fame he gains steals some from _me_! I am _Albus Dumbledore_! I was the most famous wizard in the world before that snot-nosed braggart was even _thought_ of!"

Remus was an expert at tuning out Dumbledore's tantrums. There had been many over the years, so he was quite used to them. The inflection of Dumbledore's voice let him know when to nod, when to scowl, and when to throw in a monosyllabic response. It really was quite simple.

"Can you _believe_ what he's doing? He's undermining centuries of stigma, prejudice, and bigotry. _How_ is this possible? His little Mudblood slut of a friend certainly isn't helping either. I should have made sure he was sorted into Gryffindor. He never would have been such a schemer if that had happened. Slytherin bolsters him. They never could be trusted. _Why_ does that house even exist? The only wizards to ever oppose me publicly have come from that house. Even _Grindelwald_!"

Remus, growing tired of the whining, decided to intervene. "Albus, I have some good news…"

"…never _did_ love me…What was that?" Albus stopped himself in mid sentence. Good news? Remus had good news? This he had to hear.

"Harry has accepted my offer of Patronus lessons. We will start them in November. I will be able to keep an eye on him, and I will feed him stories about Lily, James, and Sirius. I'll let him know that Black killed the Potters. He'll hate the man. Perhaps he'll even kill the man when he shows his face. It will certainly be one less thing for us to deal with."

Dumbledore smiled, something which he was certain would be impossible for several days just minutes ago. "Excellent. He'll be right where I want him. I can't have him listening to Black's story, we'll be ruined. Perhaps we'll find a way to bind his core as well. He's far too powerful already, and these lessons will be a perfect chance to accomplish something. I'll have to look into that. Well done, Remus."

Remus inclined his head, accepting the praise. "Not at all, Albus. It was your idea." He'd learned years ago that the best way to placate the great Albus Dumbledore was to compliment him.

"Well, it was a rather good idea, wasn't it, old friend."

"As are most of your ideas, Albus."

"Very well. Keep me updated on the progress of these lessons, will you?"

"Of course, Albus. Let me know if you have any other brilliant ideas." Remus stood and left the office, eager to leave before Dumbledore started on another rant. Every once in a while he wondered if he would have to put up with such ridiculous behavior if he had served Riddle. However, there was no point in dwelling on what might have been, and serving Dumbledore had served him well.

**Thanks to NukeMyWaffle for the idea of Harry having to deal with even more fame. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind, but it definitely makes sense, and it works.**


	13. Halloween

**Chapter 13: Halloween**

As the year continued on, Draco, Harry, and Luna kept Hermione grounded and made sure she had enough sleep to keep her from going crazy. Although she didn't admit it, she knew that without their help she would have overworked herself terribly, and probably alienated all her friends in the process.

They were all incredibly grateful when the first Hogsmeade trip of the year rolled around. They could all use a break. Harry and Draco, however, both had small worries.

"Luna," said Harry as he walked her to class.

"Yes, Harry?"

"This weekend is the Hogsmeade visit, and I know you're not technically allowed to go…"

Luna cut him off, knowing where he was going with the conversation. "Harry, it's ok. I don't think I want to sneak out. Although I appreciate you offering me that option. I also don't want you to stay behind. I'll be happiest if you go, have a good time, and bring me back some souvenirs." She said the last with a smile, causing Harry to beam at her.

"Luna, you're the best, do you know that?"

"The nargles have mentioned something to that effect…"

"Huh?"

"Oh, um, just an expression my father uses."

"Oh. Well, do you know what you want? As souvenirs, I mean?"

"Not really, just bring me back something good." She gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek and went into her classroom. Harry stood there stupidly for a moment before racing to Potions so he wouldn't be late.

"Cutting it close there, eh Harry?" 

"Shut it, Draco, you don't have to walk anyone to class."

"Neither do you."

"Of course I do! How could I not walk Luna to class?"

"Well, you don't _have_ to, you want to. There's a difference."

"Whatever you say, _Dray_."

Draco blushed, but held his ground. "Harry, I actually wanted to ask you something." His voice dropped to a whisper as they started preparing their potion ingredients. "I want to ask Mia to go with me to Hogsmeade as a date, but I don't want to leave you on your own…"

"Draco, don't worry. I can hang out with Daphne, Blaise, and Theo. Luna told me to go into town to pick her up some souvenirs. Enjoy your time with Mia, I think you both need it."

"Thanks, mate. I honestly expected a bit more convincing to be required."

"Well, if Luna can be so mature about it, then I certainly can." They finished Potions in relative quiet and Harry hung back to speak with Daphne, Blaise, and Theo. "Hi you three. Listen, Mia and Draco are spending the day in Hogsmeade together. I was wondering if I could spend the day with the three of you?"

The three friends looked at each other, stunned. They were Harry's first choice after his best friends? They didn't realize they ranked so high in his eyes. "Sure, Harry, that'd be great. I'm really looking forward to our first visit, aren't you?"

Harry decided to ignore the fact that he'd been a few times already. "Definitely, Daphne. And I want to pick up a few things for Luna."

"Great, so we can leave from breakfast together."

"Sounds good."

That night, Draco pulled Hermione to the side before they went to bed. "Mia, would you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"I thought we were all going, Dray."

"No, I mean as a date."

"Oh." Hermione blushed lightly. "I'd love to, Draco. It should be great. Um…"

Draco anticipated her question. "I already talked to Harry; he's going to be spending time with Daphne, Blaise, and Theo."

Hermione hugged him tightly and gave him a light kiss. "You're the best, Dray. I'm really looking forward to this visit."

Harry woke early on Saturday, anticipating his first legitimate Hogsmeade visit. Knowing he was too excited to go back to sleep, he rose and got ready for the day, deciding to catch an early breakfast. He was quickly joined by the other boys, and when he got down to breakfast, most of the third years were at the tables. He had received an owl a couple of days earlier with a permission slip signed by his 'aunt and uncle'. His father had personally visited them and had them sign the form, removing the visit from their mind afterwards, of course.

"Good morning, Harry."

"Luna! Hi! So, what were you planning on doing today?"

"Well, I have homework to work on, I think I'll keep busy in the common room. Make sure you bring me back something good."

Harry saw the twinkle in her eyes and smiled. "I wouldn't dream of anything less. Only the best for my Luna." He saw the bit of shock in her eyes and realized just what he had said. Not wanting to make the moment awkward, he offered her the plate of bacon in front of him, which she took.

At precisely 9:00, Professor McGonagall stood and cleared her throat. "The gates have been opened for your visit to Hogsmeade. Third years, please present your permission slips to Mr. Filch before leaving. As ever, we expect your behavior to reflect well on Hogwarts. This trip is an extension of your school privileges and all rules and regulations from Hogwarts extend to Hogsmeade as well. Enjoy your day."

Almost as one the third years stood and headed for the doors of the Great Hall. "Bye Luna. I promise I'll find you something awesome."

"Have fun, Harry." Luna gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek then Harry made his way over to Daphne, Blaise, and Theo with a sappy grin on his face. He shook himself out of his stupor as the three friends started laughing.

"Shut it, you three. Um, do you have any plans for today?"

They slowly made their way through the line as Mr. Filch checked each and every permission slip for validity. "I'd like to see Honeydukes."

"Yeah, we definitely have to go to that. I want to go to Zonkos."

"I need to go to Scrivenshaft's for a couple of new quills."

"Aww, Daph, you're no fun."

"Excuse me, Blaise. I'm taking advantage of the shopping opportunity to get things I need. I'd rather like to see the Three Broomsticks afterward for a Butterbeer."

"Sounds great, you three." Harry paused to hand Mr. Filch his permission slip. Mr. Filch spent a full five minutes examining it. Harry knew he would love to find a reason for Harry to not be allowed to go. With a scowl and a sigh he checked the box next to Harry's name and waved him on.

Grinning, the group of four headed outside and started down the path to Hogsmeade. "I also need to stop by Potion Perfection."

"What for, Harry?"

"I need to get the potions for the blood magic test. Hermione suggested that this would be the best time, as they'll most likely need to be ordered and we want to test the Muggles during Christmas holidays."

"How many are you buying?"

"Fifty. I think that's enough to get a decent test group. We can always get more later if we aren't satisfied with our results. But, if we're right, nearly all of the Muggles should have some kind of magical core, just some will be stronger than others."

"It sounds interesting, I can't wait to see what the results will be." Harry smiled at Blaise. He knew that these three and their families didn't really buy in to the whole blood purity thing, but, as Purebloods, they didn't really have a choice but to act it or be ostracized.

"Well, enough of that talk, we're here to have fun!" Harry laughed at Theo's statement, but had to agree with him. They hit Honeydukes first. Harry was once again amazed at the variety. Seeing his classmates' reactions made it even better.

"This place is AMAZING!" Blaise sure didn't hold back. They started around the shop, and Harry wondered how he would ever be able to choose a gift for Luna. What could he possibly get her? As they continued around the shop, Daphne picked up a sugar quill, Blaise grabbed several boxes of Chocolate Frogs and Fizzing Whizzbees, and Theo decided on Liquorice Wands and Crystallized Pineapple. Harry was feeling particularly discouraged by the time they reached the sweets for "Unusual Tastes". He certainly wouldn't be getting Luna blood-flavored lollipops or Cockroach Clusters.

Slightly disheartened, he'd decided not to get anything from Honeydukes and just pick something up from Zonkos. He followed the other three up to the desk to pay for their purchases. At the front of the line, he spotted a perfect gift. It was a collection of one of everything sold in the store. Luna could enjoy the box, then let him know what she liked best for next time. It was perfect!

Grinning madly, Harry purchased the Deluxe Sample Box and shrunk it to fit in his pocket.

"What's next?" asked Daphne.

"Well, Potion Perfection is next door, then Zonko's, and I think Scrivenshaft's is two stores down from that, so we might as well go in order, then we can go to the Three Broomsticks."

His friends stared at him suspiciously. "How do you know that?"

"I looked at a map of Hogsmeade with Luna when we were trying to decide where I wanted to go." Harry hoped he sounded convincing. He must have at least sounded convincing enough, as his friends decided not to push it. With a quick nod, they left Honeydukes and walked next door.

Potion Perfection was empty when they walked in. Obviously students didn't shop for potions. A man suddenly appeared behind the counter. "How may I be of service…Oh…" His smile dropped as he surveyed the four students. "I'm sorry, I don't stock joke potions. Zonko's has a small supply of them."

Harry tried not to laugh. The poor man obviously had poor experiences with Hogwarts students. "I'm not interested in joke potions, Sir," said Harry, approaching the counter. "I need to order fifty blood magic test potions."

"Fifty? As in five-zero?"

"Yes, Sir."

"What on Earth do you need _fifty_…" The man cleared his throat and shook his head. "Forgive me, it is not my business. Fifty blood magic test potions is a large order. I won't be able to fill it until the end of November."

"That soon? I'm impressed. How long do they keep? I need them for the Christmas Holidays."

"I can place a stasis charm on them. They will keep indefinitely until the stasis charm is removed, after which they will need to be used within two weeks."

"Excellent. Please have them delivered to Malfoy Manor."

"Very well, would you like to pay in coins or by Gringotts draft?"

"Draft, please. How much will it be?"

"750 Galleons."

"Very well." Harry took the Gringotts draft parchment the man had placed on the counter and filled in the information for the Potter vault. Pretending to be a Potter definitely had its advantages. With the order placed, the group of students left the store, leaving behind a very happy store clerk.

"So, Zonko's next."

"Yes, I've wanted to visit Zonko's since I started at Hogwarts!"

"What's so special about a joke shop?" The boys stared at Daphne in shock. "What?"

"Please tell us you're joking."

"No, I'm not." Daphne rolled her eyes as the boys looked pained. "Come on, let's just go." They all filed into Zonko's, albeit Daphne a bit reluctantly.

Harry found much to interest him at Zonko's and bought himself Dungbombs, a quill that would only write insults, a parchment that would insult anyone who read it, and a nose-biting teacup. Unsure exactly what Luna would want, and somewhat disappointed to find they didn't have a sample box, Harry bought a screaming yo-yo, a self-spelling quill, a nose-biting teacup, and a "bag of tricks" which supposedly contained many spells that could be used to play tricks on friends and enemies.

Blaise and Theo emerged with bulging bags, but Daphne had only purchased a self-spelling quill. "Do you still need to go to Scrivenshaft's, Daphne? You've already bought two quills."

"Yes, I do. I bought a sugar quill that will only last me a few days, and the self-spelling quill is sure to lose its charm within a few months. I need a regular quill I can count on." And so, they all headed off to Scrivenshaft's and spent about ten minutes looking around inside before Daphne found a lovely eagle feather quill that had been dyed green.

As they left the shop, their grumbling stomachs guaranteed they went to the Three Broomsticks. It was extremely crowded, noisy, warm, and smoky. A curvy sort of woman with a pretty face was serving a bunch of rowdy warlocks up at the bar. The four friends pushed their way through the crowd up to the bar, where they each ordered a Butterbeer and a sandwich.

They worked their way through the crowd once more, finally finding a small table between a window and the fireplace. They raised their bottles in a toast to fun and took a long swig. Harry thought it was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of him from the inside.

While they ate, they decided to walk around the village and see the other shops before heading back to Hogwarts for the feast. They ate quickly, eager to see the other stores and (in Harry's case) wanting to keep up with his friends.

As they left, they just walked down one side of the street, crossing to the other side if they saw an interesting shop. They passed Gladrags and Dogweed and Deathcap. They stopped in at the Post Office to see the various types of owls. Daphne pulled them into Tomes and Scrolls to see if the next book in her favorite fiction series was available yet (it wasn't), and Theo made sure they stopped at Dervish and Banges, although he didn't find anything worth buying.

They even made sure to take a good look at the Shrieking Shack (from a respectful distance, of course) before finally heading back to Hogwarts. The walk back seemed longer than their walk down had been, mostly likely because they were growing tired. Once they reached the school gates, they wished that the carriages only seen at the beginning of term were available during Hogsmeade visits.

It was a very tired group of students who finally made it to their common room. Harry continued on to his dormitory to divest himself of his outdoor apparel before returning to the common room with his gifts for Luna fully enlarged.

Coincidentally, Luna chose that moment to return to the common room from the library. "Hi, Harry, did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, it was great. I brought you stuff." He held out the sample box with the purchases from Zonko's balanced on top.

Luna's eyes widened. "Goodness, Harry, thank you. I was just wanting a bit of candy."

"Oh, er, well, if you don't like it…" He suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"No, it's great, I just…well, you didn't have to…and…thanks!"

"You're welcome, Luna." Luna went up to her dormitory to put away her gifts then came back down to give Harry a hug.

"You know, we should probably get going to the feast, it's almost seven."

"Oh, right." Harry followed along behind her as she led him up the stairs, and out of the dungeon.

Harry was just as taken aback by the Great Hall as he had been the previous two years. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes. Harry noted with disgust that Dumbledore's robes matched the streamers, and perhaps even outdid them a bit. _Where_ that man got his clothes, he'd never know.

The food was delicious, especially after the long day of walking around Hogsmeade. Harry helped himself to seconds of everything, including dessert. The entire table was eating so much that one of the older students had charmed them to slowly rotate, stopping when someone took a plate for themselves.

The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (better known to the Slytherins as Sir Whiney) had a great success with reenactment of his own botched beheading.

When the feast was officially declared over (well after 10), Harry joined his tired friends to walk back to the Slytherin dormitories. Luna walked alongside him, thanking him once more for her gifts.

"I really didn't expect so much, Harry. I thought you might bring me back a Sugar Quill."

"Well, I did, actually."

"Yes, along with a sample of every other sweet from Honeydukes, a screaming yo-yo, a self-spelling quill, a nose-biting teacup, and the "bag of tricks". Thank you, Harry."

"You're welcome, Luna. Truly, it's the least I could do." Luna gave Harry a hug before sleepily heading off to the girl's dormitory. Harry watched her go, then followed the stream of sleepy boys heading to their respective dormitories.

"I'm always so tired after a feast," complained Draco.

"Then don't eat so much!"

"Ha, ha, you're so funny, Greg." They all changed for bed and slid under their sheets, most of them falling asleep very quickly.

Minutes later, or so it seemed to Harry, they were being woken by Professor Snape's loud voice. "Slytherin house, wake up! All students are to put on dressing gowns and report to the common room immediately! Bring your wands. Again, put on dressing gowns and report to the common room immediately with your wands." Somewhat scared, Harry did as requested, making sure to put on slippers as well.

When they reached the common room, there was a jumble of clothing. Some students (mostly the older years) obviously had not gone to bed yet and were still dressed. Most of the younger years were in dressing gowns, some rubbing their eyes sleepily.

"There has been an attack on the Gryffindor common room by Sirius Black. No students were injured, but the castle must be searched. Follow me to the Great Hall. I want you all in a group; younger years to the center, Prefects on the outer edges. Now, come along, quickly!"

They bunched together, with the first years huddled together in the center looking fearful. Harry couldn't believe Sirius Black was here. Why was he at Hogwarts? What did he want?

As they were going up the stairs, they were joined by the Hufflepuffs, who Harry had never seen looking so determined. The Ravenclaws were descending the main staircase as the other two houses passed through the Entrance Hall. When they entered the Great Hall, they saw that the Gryffindors were already there, and none of them were in their pajamas. Harry wondered why none of them had gone to bed.

His musings were cut short when the Headmaster called for silence. "The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," he said, as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the Prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall, and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately. Word can be sent with one of the ghosts." The Headmaster turned, as though to leave, then paused. "Oh, yes, you'll be needing…"

One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squishy purple sleeping bags.

"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him. The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly. Harry saw Neville making his way over to them slowly. He kept glancing around, as though wanting to make sure no one noticed him. When he reached the group of four friends, he stood with his head down and took a deep breath.

"Harry, I am truly sorry for the way I've been behaving. You've helped me greatly in the past, and I've been an idiot. I would like to try starting over, if that is alright with you?"

Harry looked to his friends, who all nodded, even Draco. "Well, we can try, Neville, but you'll have to prove you're worthy of our trust. It may be a long process."

"I understand. It's more than I deserve."

Before they could say any more, the elder Weasley created a bang with his wand. "Everyone into their sleeping bags!" he shouted. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

Neville joined Harry and his friends in pulling their sleeping bags off to the side. "Well, I'm _not_ sleeping in something purple!" With a wave of his wand, Draco made his sleeping bag a dark forest green. Hermione mimicked him and made her bag green with silver trim. She repeated the charm for Luna, who hadn't learned the spell yet. Harry decided to make his sleeping bag green with a silver snake.

"Nice one, Harry." Neville climbed into his still purple sleeping bag.

"Thanks. Why are you keeping yours purple?"

"Oh, er, well, I don't mind it much." Realizing what the problem was, Hermione sighed and waved her wand, making his sleeping bag gold with red trim. It was slightly less offensive than a bright red bag. "Thanks, Hermione."

"You're welcome, Neville. So, tell us, what happened?"

"The portrait of the Fat Lady guarding the Gryffindor common room was slashed to ribbons because she would let Black in without a password."

"Oh, dear, is she alright?" asked Luna, worried.

"Yes, she escaped when he pulled the knife. Her gown got a little cut though."

"But she's a portrait, how is that possible?"

"Harry," sighed Hermione. "Like regular portraits, anything that happens to the canvas, happens to the object or person depicted. But, because these are magical portraits, if something terrible happens, like, say the neck gets sliced, it can destroy the magic of the portrait and "kill" the person or animal portrayed."

"Oh, wow, I'm glad she's ok, then. But why do you think Black went to Gryffindor? What's there?"

"I don't know, Draco. The only reason I can think of for him to be here is that he's after me, but I'm not in Gryffindor, and I don't know why he'd think I would be."

"Maybe because of your parents, Harry." Harry almost reminded Neville his parents were in Slytherin. It was easy to forget that not everyone knew the truth about him, especially in circumstances like this.

"How do you think Black got in?" Harry gave Luna a thankful glance for changing the subject.

"I don't know, Luna. There are so many enchantments on this castle. You can't Apparate in at all, or use much of any form of stealth. The Dementors can see through invisibility cloaks and can see past disguises. The wards around the perimeter would have prevented him from flying in, and the Forbidden Forest is too dangerous to just walk through."

"Well, no one has ever escaped Azkaban before," said Draco, matter-of-factly.

Before Hermione could respond to that, Percy Weasley was shouting at them all again. "The lights are going out now! I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!" The candles went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the Prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Harry felt as though he were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.

"I hate that pompous arse!"

"Draco, language!"

"Sorry, Mia."

"Ronald and Ginny aren't much better. For a so-called light family, they spew the worst nonsense," grumbled Neville

"I know. I can't help feeling as though they're always plotting against me because I didn't join Gryffindor."

"I can keep an eye on them if you like."

"That would be great, Neville, I'd appreciate it."

"No problem." They talked of random things, mostly trying to keep their mind off of Sirius Black for quite a while, as the excitement meant none of them felt remotely tired anymore.

Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, the Headmaster came in. Harry pointed him out to his friends as he saw him looking around, then come in their direction. He was obviously looking to speak to Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. He was currently only a short way away from Harry and his friends who all pretended to be asleep as the Headmaster drew near.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Weasley in a whisper.

"No. All well here?"

"Everything under control, sir."

"Good. There's no point in moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, Sir?"

"Doing as well as can be expected. She's still distressed, but once she's calmed down I'll have Mr. Filch restore her." Harry heard the door of the hall creak open again and more footsteps.

"Headmaster?" It was Professor Snape. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Sybil's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched..."

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."

"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Headmaster?" asked Weasley.

"Many, Percy, each of them as unlikely as the next."

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before – ah – the start of term?" asked Professor Snape. The words were barely even a whisper, and Harry had to strain to hear them.

"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.

"It seems – almost impossible – that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed –"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Professor Snape didn't reply. "I must go down to the Dementors. I said I would inform them when our search was complete."

"Didn't they want to help, Sir?" asked Weasley.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster." Harry kept his eyes closed as he listened to the footsteps leave, then his eyes flashed open.

He found himself staring into the eyes of his friends. He could only think of one thing. "LUPIN!" he mouthed.

**AN: So, fanfiction had a problem, and I was unable to respond to any of the reviews from last chapter. I'm glad you all enjoyed it. **

**NukeMyWaffle: Thanks for the cookies. :D**

**Obsessivegirl73: Hope this chapter was better for you.**


	14. More Training

**Chapter 14: More Training**

The next morning at breakfast, a school owl with an official looking envelope flew down in front of Harry. Always polite, Harry offered the owl some bacon and water before opening the letter.

_Mr. Potter,_

_As I previously informed you, beginning this month I will have time available within my schedule to provide you with Patronus lessons. I have checked your schedule with Professor Snape, and have determined that the best time for these lessons is Tuesday night at 6pm. Your lessons will end shortly before dinner. I expect to see you in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom this week for your first lesson._

_Professor Lupin_

"Who is it from, Harry?"

Harry looked up at Hermione. "It's from Lupin. He's ready to start my lessons. But I don't know if I should go to them, especially as Professor Snape believes he's helping Sirius Black enter the castle. What if this is just a trap, or a set-up of some kind?"

"Harry," sighed Luna. "I don't think Professor Lupin would be that idiotic. It would be far too easy to trace back to him."

"That's a good point, Luna. Harry, I think you'd be best served by going to these lessons to see what exactly he wants. Just be on your guard. You know that, if necessary, you are fully capable of taking care of yourself."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mia. I suppose you're right. At the rate things are going, my schedule will be almost as full as yours. I've got Quidditch, lessons with Apophis, reading through the books Ragnock sent me, and now Patronus lessons."

"You're doing quite well so far, Harry."

"Thanks, Draco. I think I'm going to go see Apophis now since we have a free period. I'll see you all later." His friends nodded and wished him well as he left. No one noticed little Ginny Weasley glance up from her meal at the very end of the table. She followed Harry out of the Great Hall.

She'd been trying to find a chance to get him alone for quite a while now. He was _always_ with his friends. This time, finally, she would be able to accomplish her plans. "Harry!" she called out as she followed him up the stairs.

"What do you want, Weasley?"

She managed to look hurt. "I just wanted to apologize for last year, Harry. I realized after I was free of the diary's control for a couple of months just how horrendous I'd been. I know we can't be friends, but I hoped you could forgive me." Her years of using her gender to get out of trouble at home came in handy as she made tears pool in the corners of her eyes as her bottom lip quivered.

Harry sighed. It wouldn't do him any good to say no, and it wouldn't harm him at all to say yes. "All right, Ginny, I forgive you. But I don't want to be your friend."

Ginny ran forward and hugged him tight for several seconds. Harry sucked in a deep breath, as Ginny had knocked the air from him. As he was about to push her off of him, she sprang away. "I'm sorry, Harry, I just never expected you to actually forgive me. Thanks. I feel better."

"Just go, Ginny." Harry walked off quickly, not noticing Ginny's evil smile. Phase one was complete.

***SoaS***

_Apophis, dear friend, I am here for my next lesson. What am I learning today?_

_I thought we should have a brief review of what you have already learnt._

Harry groaned. _If you insist._

_I do. Now, create the protection against Dementors._

Harry did so, pleased when a dark grey, small dragon formed from a smoke-like gas easily burst forth, circling the chamber before disappearing. It had been a surprise when his protection had finally taken shape. Apophis had told him his dragon would increase in size in relation to his power, but as of yet, it was still rather small, about the size of a horse.

_One of my human professors will be teaching me how to do this with regular magic._

_I would like to know more about it once you have had your lesson._

_Of course, Apophis._

_Now, continue with the shield._

Apophis slowly led him through a review of everything he'd learned so far. After the shield, which should be able to deflect all spells, even the Unforgivables, he worked with the physical shield which would block physical attacks. Then he continued with the Parselmagic equivalent of a stunner and a curse to cause temporary blindness.

Apophis decided to deviate from their original lesson plans to teach Harry defensive and offensive magic before moving to anything else. _I will teach you the teleportation incantation. It can be applied to an object to create something similar to the wizard's portkey, or it can be used alone. The object, depending on how the incantation is applied, can be used multiple times, or just once. With the incantation alone, only one teleportation can be performed. You can teleport others with both the incantation and the object._

_So the incantation used alone would be like Apparating?_

_Yes, and no. Yes, in that you, yourself are traveling from one place to another, but no in that it actually works like the banishing spell. You need to speak the incantation, but you envision where you are going, or where you want to send someone._

_Ok, what is the incantation?_

_Thamef alfewhiss. You should be able to go anywhere you like, but first, let's try sending a rock around the room. Visualize the rock going to the other side of the room, then speak the incantation._

Harry did so. He watched as the rock seemed to disappear before it reappeared exactly where he'd wanted it to. He tried again with a larger rock, then a larger one, before summoning a rat and trying with it. Each time, his results were perfect.

_Apophis, why is it so much easier to do Parselmagic than it is to do regular magic? Usually in class we try a new spell many times before we succeed._

_With Wizard's magic, you are trying to force your inner magic to do your bidding. Parselmagic, since you do not use a wand, is more like asking your magic to do something. Magic is sentient, and it prefers being asked._

_So, why do so many witches and wizards have trouble with wandless magic?_

_Because they try to learn after then have bent their magic to their will. By that time, their magic is more like a robot. It does what it is asked. Their magic can no longer do something without being ordered to do it. _

_So, speaking a spell is asking magic to do something. It's the act of using a wand that forces the magic to do it?_

_Yes, exactly, Harry. The magical core of the wand forces magic into the wand, and then produces the result you requested. Wizards say the wand 'channels' the magic, because they do not understand, but truly, the wand traps the magic and forces it to do the humans' bidding._

_So it would be easier for me to learn wandless magic now than after school?_

_Yes. Now, back to work. Try teleporting yourself._

Harry did so, and managed to appear on top of Salazar Slytherin's head before teleporting back to ground level.

_Very good, Harry, now, let's try to use an object._ Using an object was different, as the spell had to be applied to the object with an activation word specified, so only the activation word would trigger the spell. After another half hour of work, Harry was exhausted, but pleased. He now had a much easier way to get down to the chamber. As homework, he was to practice teleporting himself and others through wards and over increasingly longer distances. He was also to research defensive uses for Transfiguration.

_As ever, Apophis, I thank you for your help._

_You are most welcome, Harry._

_Do you need more food yet?_

_No, Harry, your gift of deer last week still offers me some food. Soon I will teach you the portal spell so I will no longer need you to bring me food._

_I look forward to that._

_Good day, Harry._

_Bye, Apophis._ Harry teleported himself out of the chamber right into Myrtle's bathroom. As expected, no one was there. He cleaned himself up a bit and made his way to class.

***SoaS***

That evening as Harry was sitting in the common room with his friends, an owl bearing the Gringotts crest once again flew in with a parcel. Harry unburdened the owl, then asked if it wanted anything before receiving the typical owl 'no, thank you'.

"What did you get this time, Harry?"

"Just a moment, Luna, I haven't even opened the package yet." He noticed that the parcel weighed almost nothing, and figured a feather light charm must have been place on either the parcel as a whole, or on the books themselves.

Ragnock had managed to find _An Introduction to Our Marvelous Culture_, and had located another book he hadn't mentioned before: _Gobledegook, A Beginner's Guide_ by Goblin Sharpetooth.

"Oh, Harry, do you think I could borrow the book on Gobledegook when you're done with it?"

"Sure, Mia. I'm glad Ragnock sent this to me. I think I need to offer him another bonus for taking the initiative to look for extra books."

"Harry, don't you think it's a bit…beneath you to _buy_ someone's favor?"

"I'm not buying his favor, Mia. I'm rewarding him for his good work in the best way I can for a goblin. I'm helping increase his Hoard. I'm going to go put these away and go to bed. I'll see you all in the morning." A chorus of 'good-night, Harry's followed him out of the common room.

He read through the book on Gobledegook for a while to keep from worrying about his Patronus lesson the next day, but finally fell asleep around midnight absolutely exhausted.

***SoaS***

At breakfast the next morning, Harry and his friends were unpleasantly surprised by Ginny Weasley asking, very politely, if she might sit by them, as she no longer wished to be the ostracized member of Slytherin, but rather, a central, contributing member. She told them all what she had told Harry the day before. She had been under the influence of the diary the entire year, and, after escaping its influence, she was remorseful of her actions.

Harry found himself inclined to believe her this time, and nodded his acceptance. He and Luna scooted over to allow her to sit on Harry's other side. Ginny smiled her thanks before offering to refill Harry's glass for him.

"Thanks, Ginny."

"You're quite welcome, Harry." She had to steady the pitcher with two hands, as it was rather heavy, but she managed to pour him a glass. She asked anyone else if they would like more juice, and set the pitcher down when they all answered in the negative. "Thank you all for giving me a second chance. I realize that after my actions last year I do not deserve it, I appreciate the enormity of what you are offering me and will do my best to make sure I don't let you down." She stayed silent most of the rest of breakfast, and the four friends easily forgot about her. Not one noticed the evil glint in her eye.

***SoaS***

At 6pm that evening, Harry walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He was rather upset to find it empty. He rather expected a professor to be on time for a lesson, if not a little early. He lit the lamps with his wand, and had been waiting about five minutes when Professor Lupin turned up, carrying a large packing case, which he heaved onto his desk.

_Pathetic,_ thought Harry. _Why doesn't he just use a levitation charm?_ "Another Boggart, I assume?" asked Harry, trying his best to sound polite.

"Yes," said Lupin. "I've been combing the castle for a week, and finally found one this morning. It was lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. I hardly thought you'd like to practice with a real Dementor, and, as the Boggart essentially turns into a Dementor when it sees you, we'll be able to practice with it. I can store him in my office cupboard when we aren't using him."

"Boggarts have genders?"

"Well, no, I just always think of them as male. They are genderless."

"So, how do new Boggarts get made?"

"Well, while no one is entirely sure, it is believed that they originate from the residue of Dark Magic coalescing in corners. The darkness gathers until enough magic is contained within to allow the creature to spawn. Depending on which magic coalesces, you get a Lethifold or Boggart. However, this is just theory, remember."

"Oh, so if there were no Dark Magic used, Boggarts and Lethifolds would not exist?"

"Yes, in theory. Now, on to our lesson. The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry – well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" asked Harry. He was curious to know if it was as similar to the protection incantation he'd learned from Apophis as he thought it was.

"Well, when it works correctly, it conjures a Patronus, which is a kind of anti-Dementor – a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the Dementor." _So far the same,_ thought Harry. "The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon – hope, happiness, the desire to survive – but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it. But, I must warn you, Harry, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."

Harry briefly wondered if there was a reason Lupin left witches out of that statement. "What does a Patronus look like?" he asked, giving himself more time to think. As far as he could tell, the Patronus charm wasn't at all different from the protection incantation. He wondered if the end results would look the same.

"Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it."

"And how do you conjure it?"

"With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory." _Well, that part is different._ Harry briefly wondered if just concentrating on what makes life worth living, as he did with the Parselmagic spell would work. Only one way to find out, really. "Now, the incantation is this," Lupin cleared his throat. "Expecto Patronum!"

Harry took a quick moment to focus on his family and friends, then muttered "Expecto patronum." Something whooshed out of the end of his wand. It looked like a wisp of silvery gas. It was a much brighter color than the dark grey of the Parselmagic defense.

"Very good," said Lupin. "You got a reaction on your first try, that's very uncommon. Ready to try it on a Dementor now?"

"Yes, of course." Harry moved to the middle of the deserted classroom as Lupin waved his wand to clear the desks. He watched as Lupin strode to the desk and grasped the lid of the packing case. Lupin stood there for a moment watching Harry before he pulled the lid open.

A Dementor rose slowly from the box, its hooded face turned to something on the floor. Harry refused to look at what he knew would be Luna. He couldn't get distracted. A scabbed hand emerged from the Dementor's cloak, and the lamps around the classroom flickered and went out.

The Dementor stepped from the box and started toward the point on the floor it was looking at, drawing a deep, rattling breath. A wave of piercing cold broke over him, but he called on his happy memories of his family and friends.

"Expecto Patronum!" The incantation came out as a growl, and a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the end of his wand, to hover between the half of the Boggart that was Luna, and the half that was the Dementor. He was amazed how much this spell took out of him. His legs felt like water, and he was sweating profusely.

"Riddikulus!" roared Lupin, springing forward. There was a loud crack, and Harry's cloudy Patronus vanished along with the Dementor. Harry sank to the floor, breathing hard and feeling as exhausted as if he'd just run a mile. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lupin forcing the Boggart back into the packing case with his wand. It had turned into a silvery orb that reminded Harry of a crystal ball, or maybe a full moon. He was too tired to think about it right now.

"Excellent!" said Lupin, striding over to where Harry sat. "Excellent, Harry! You nearly produced a corporeal Patronus on your first try!"

"Wonderful. Give me a moment, then we can have another go."

"Let me run a few diagnostic charms to make sure your magic can handle it, first."

"Ok, Sir." Lupin ran his wand over Harry a few times, muttering as he did so. Harry felt lightheaded for a moment, then felt more energized. He didn't like that feeling. He would be speaking with Professor Snape after this lesson.

"Harry, I don't think you should try again just yet. You seem to have used quite a bit of magic. I would suggest resting." He handed Harry a chunk of Honeydukes' best chocolate. "Eat that, you'll feel even better."

"Ok, Sir."

"Harry, that was an amazing achievement. If you don't mind my asking, what memory did you use?"

"It wasn't exactly a memory, Sir. I thought about my parents and my friends. They make me happy." _Let's see what he'll tell me about my so-called parents._

"Your parents?"

"Yes, Sir. I was happy with them, wasn't I?" _Ugh, I hate having to pretend to be a Potter._

"Well, yes, but why did you think I would know?"

"You were one of their friends, weren't you? Along with Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, right?"

"Yes, but again, how did you know?"

"Everyone talks, Sir. Sirius' story is well known, and has been discussed quite a bit since his escape from Azkaban."

"Ah, yes, I could see that. Unfortunately, there was a time I considered Sirius Black to be one of my friends. However, that was before his true nature was revealed."

"True nature, Sir?"

"Yes. You have heard, I suppose, of Voldemort?" Harry nodded. He recalled people mentioning him a couple of times, but wasn't entirely sure the story behind him.

"Well, Voldemort was the leader of the Dark, while the Headmaster was leader of the Light." Harry tried not to let his disbelief show. "I, and my friends, James (your father), Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew, were all on the side of the Light, at least for a while. We fought against Lord Voldemort's forces until certain events caused your parents to go into hiding. Lord Voldemort was looking for them personally.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he started putting pieces together. "Why was he looking for them, Sir?"

"I don't think it's my place to tell you, Harry. However, looking for them he was. Your parents went into hiding with the Fidelius Charm." He paused at Harry's confused look. "The Fidelius charm is an immensely complex charm involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a chosen person, known as the Secret Keeper, making it impossible to find – unless the Secret Keeper chooses to divulge it. By being hidden with this charm, Voldemort could have searched the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window."

"Who was their Secret Keeper?"

"Can you not guess? Sirius Black was their Secret Keeper. He turned traitor and revealed their location to Voldemort, allowing him to come and kill them. He tried to kill you as well, but you defeated him, which is why you are known as the Boy Who Lived. You survived Voldemort's attack, and banished him in doing so." Harry knew that part, Dumbledore had told him about his defeat of Voldemort, though not in this much detail. Obviously that story was complete hogwash. He was more interested in the rest of the story from Lupin's point of view.

"So, what happened to the rest of you?"

"Well, I decided to remove myself from the wizarding world for a while to mourn my friends. Unfortunately, Peter did not make such a wise decision. He confronted Sirius. Witnesses say he was sobbing, demanding to know how Sirius could possibly betray your parents. He went for his wand, but Sirius Black was quicker. He blew Peter, the street, and thirteen Muggles to pieces. The largest bit they found of Peter was his finger. When the Aurors arrived, Sirius was standing there laughing. They say he lost his mind."

"And now the traitor has broken out of Azkaban."

"Yes, which is why I want you to promise me something, Harry."

"What, sir?"

"Harry, swear to me you won't go _looking_ for Sirius. He wouldn't give you a fair fight. You need to let the Hit Wizards deal with him. Revenge isn't worth dying."

"But Professor…"

"No, promise me, Harry."

"Alright, Sir, I promise." _Like a promise to him means anything. Besides, I have even bigger reasons to go after Black._

"Thank you, Harry. Now, you should run along, dinner will be starting soon." Harry saw that it was nearly seven, and realized he would have to hurry if he stood any chance of catching Professor Snape. He didn't want Lupin to know he had seen his head of house directly after their lesson.

"Thank you for the lesson, Professor. Same time next week?"

"Yes, that sounds good, Harry." Harry left, and made sure to walk at a normal pace until he reached the floor below, where he burst into a sprint. He managed to catch Professor Snape just as he was leaving his office.

"Harry, whatever is the matter?"

"I just had a lesson with Professor Lupin, and I want to make sure everything was ok. Could I show you the memory of it, Sir?"

"Yes, but we had best do that after dinner. If we do it now, we will be late, and alert Lupin."

"Thank you, Sir, I'll be here."

Harry brought his friends up to speed about his lesson with Lupin during dinner. Draco looked like he was ready to rip the man's head off for his lies about the war. Harry assured Draco he'd be talking to his parents later on that night. He also let them know he'd be speaking with Professor Snape to make sure everything was as it should be.

They all ate quickly, and left as a group, so as not to arouse suspicion. Harry stopped at his dormitory to get his Pensieve before going to Professor Snape's office. Luckily, his Professor had already made it back, so he didn't have to stand around holding the bulky stone basin.

"Come on in, Harry. I'm glad you brought your Pensieve with you. Now, copy your memory into the Pensieve so I can view it."

"Ok, Sir." Harry did as he was told and soon the Pensieve was full of the memories of the lesson. Harry chose to wait while Professor Snape viewed the memories. Harry knew something was wrong the moment Professor Snape resurfaced. His face was contorted in fury.

"Sir, I already know the story was a lie. I do have some questions for my father, though, that I will be asking him tonight."

"The problem was not the story, Harry. Professor Lupin bound your magical core. Thankfully, because the binding is so new, I will be able to break it fairly quickly. Please hold very still." Harry watched fearfully as Professor Snape waved his wand in complicated movements and muttered strange words. After about three minutes, Harry felt as though a weight was lifted from him, and he knew that whatever spell Professor Snape had been casting had worked.

"Thank you, Professor. Were there any other problems?"

"No, Harry. However, I would like to award twenty points to Slytherin for the amazing achievement of producing a nearly corporeal Patronus on your first try. That is unheard of."

"Thank you, Sir." Professor Snape carefully disposed of the memory copies so they could never be viewed again then sent Harry on his way. Harry bid his friends a quick good night as he passed them in the common room. He was too eager to speak to his father to spend much time with them. He put his Pensieve away carefully, then pulled out his two-way mirror. After casting a silencing spell around his bed, he spoke his father's name.

"Tom Riddle!" After a few moments, his father's face appeared in the mirror.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

"I have a couple questions for you father. I had a lesson with Remus Lupin to learn how to cast the Patronus charm, then he told me his version of what happened during the first war."

"I see. What would you like to know?"

"Are you also known as Lord Voldemort?"

Harry saw his father wince. "There was once a time when, because of my good grades, handsome face, and group of friends, I felt I was better than others. In my final years at school, I did go by that title. However, I long since abandoned it. Unfortunately, Dumbledore resurrected the title when I began to fight against him. Using his influence in the world, he portrayed me and my friends as a lethal army, intent on taking over the wizarding world, when all I wanted was for people to realize just who Dumbledore really was."

"Why did you start fighting against him?"

"I think it would be best if I told you that at another time."

Harry, knowing it would be pointless to argue, decided to drop that point. "But, if you were well known as Voldemort, how is it you can easily go out in public as yourself? And mum, does everyone know she was married to Lord Voldemort?"

"No, Harry, they don't. She is Bellatrix Riddle. I am Tom Riddle. Lord Voldemort was Dumbledore's invention. When he was trying to convince the world that I was a deranged lunatic, he described me as a 'snake-faced' man. I was thought to have skin whiter than snow, livid scarlet eyes with slits for pupils, and a nose that was flat with slits for nostrils. Obviously, I do not look like this, so, no one ever knew that I was this supposed Lord Voldemort. Your mother was portrayed rather unfavorably as well. She was said to be an evil harpy, with frizzy, wildly untamable hair; crazy blue eyes; and an evil, twisted smile. Clearly, your beautiful mother does not match this description in the least."

"So, why did Dumbledore describe you in this way?"

"I don't think he thought through his idea of making us more fearful. All he really did was make it easy for us to hide in plain sight. Once he realized his error, he could hardly say that he had been incorrect. He would have looked like a fool. And it would be easy enough for us to prove we weren't using any form of magical concealment. So, the name, and the horrid appearances, stuck. Now, Harry, there is much more to the story, but it doesn't matter now, and it is very late. You should get to sleep."

"Alright, father. Thank you for telling me the truth."

"You're welcome, son. Good-night."

"Good-night." Harry deactivated the mirror, then lay back to think about what he had been told. How much of what the wizarding world accepted as truth was nothing more than the bald-faced lies of Dumbledork? Harry once more vowed to bring down the idiotic Headmaster.


	15. 3rd Lupin Interlude

**AN: So, I haven't been very inspired lately, I don't know why, but, here is an interlude to keep you entertained in the mean time. Keep an eye out for a funny one shot coming soon, too.**

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**Chapter 15: Lupin Interlude 3**

Remus Lupin entered the Great Hall through the staff door after his lesson with Harry and took his seat next to Albus.

"Ah, Remus, you had a lesson with Harry this evening, did you not?"

"I did, Albus. As I'm sure you recall, I offered to help him learn the Patronus Charm."

"Yes, yes, I recall you mentioning that. And how did he do?"

"Amazingly well. Harry nearly produced a corporeal Patronus on his first attempt."

Remus saw Albus quickly hide his astonished reaction. "I had no idea Mr. Potter was so powerful."

"He nearly exhausted himself using so much magic."

"Remus, join me in my offices after dinner. I'd like to discuss offering young Harry some extra lessons to allow him to reach his full magical potential."

"Of course, Albus." Remus ate quickly, knowing that he was expected to leave the Great Hall with Albus. However, when Dumbledore stood a few moments later, he couldn't help casting a sorrowful look at the desserts which had just appeared.

"Come along, Remus, we have much to discuss." Sighing, Remus stood, once again wondering exactly why he catered to the whims of such a difficult man. He followed Albus out the side door and through a secret passage that led them directly to the Headmaster's office. The moment the door was closed, Albus whirled around to confront Remus. "I take it your cryptic remarks earlier meant you were able to bind his core?"

"Of course, Albus. Just as you suggested. He will no longer have access to his core in its entirety. I restricted him to a mere 50%. If he proves to still be too powerful, I can restrict it further."

Dumbledore steepled his fingers just below his chin and grinned evilly. "Excellent. And how did he take your stories?"

"He believed them entirely. I am certain that if he comes across Black now, he will attempt to kill him."

"That's wonderful. You did quite well, Remus."

"Thank you, Albus. Now, was there anything else you wanted me to do with regards to Potter?"

"Keep an eye on him. Make sure his magic is not advancing too quickly. I need to keep him stunted so that I can take him out more easily if he fails to die at the hands of Voldemort."

"About that, Albus, you still believe that Voldemort will murder his own son?"

"Of course, Harry will not be recognized. He is the son of James and Lily Potter, remember?"

"It's a shame he wasn't sorted into Gryffindor. They're known for their lack of effort with schoolwork."

"Indeed, but perhaps you can offer help to his Slytherin friends to gain their trust. Perhaps suggest Harry is working too hard, prey upon their care for each other."

"Brilliant idea, Albus."

"Naturally. Now, I must prepare for tomorrow's lessons."

"Of course, of course." Albus waved Remus away and grinned as he contemplated how well his plans were evolving.

Fawkes sat on his perch with his beak buried in his feathers, pretending to sleep. The mad one was getting worse every day. However, Fawkes could sense that the time to show his true allegiance was getting closer.

_Chosen One._

_Yes, Fawkes?_

_Beware the wolf-man, he has bound your core and is plotting with the mad one._

_Yes, I know, Fawkes, but he tried to bind my core. Severus already fixed it._

_Wonderful. Listen, you must hear out the one called Black._

_NEVER! He betrayed my parents._

_I do not believe that is the case. The mad one and wolf-man were discussing him, they know of his innocence. He may have been a pawn._

_Are you sure?_

_No, but I believe you should hear him out._

_*sigh* I suppose. But only for a moment. If I don't like what I hear, I will kill him._

_It is the most I can hope for, I suppose._

_Thank you, Fawkes._

_You are welcome, Chosen One._


	16. End of First Term

**AN: Ok, here you go, next chapter. I'm not 100% happy with it, but I'm hoping it will help break my lack of inspiration. I hope you all enjoy.**

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Chapter 16: End of First Term

"Harry! Hey Harry! HARRY!" Harry spun around, wand at the ready, having heard his name bellowed over the noise of students heading down to dinner.

"Oh, it's you two. Did you have to be so loud?"

"Well…" said George.

"…Seeing as you didn't hear us the first two times…" continued Fred.

"…I think the answer is a resounding…" took over George.

"…YES!" They finished together.

Harry sighed. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd told them to drop the annoying twin act. "Ok… so what do you want?"

"A lot of things, actually…"

"…But mainly we want to let you know…" Harry ground his teeth together.

"…That we have a successful set of mirror communication devices…"

"…There's more to tell…"

"…But we're hungry."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief that they were done talking. "Let's meet after dinner, then. Does the empty classroom by Transfiguration work for you?"

"That will do…"

"…Quite well."

"See you then, Harry!" The twins took off for dinner, and Harry followed at a more sedate pace. He was one of the last to sit down to dinner, and saw the questioning looks his friends threw him. He shook his head slightly. He'd tell them later.

"Hello, Harry." Ginny appeared behind him, and for a moment, he wondered if she'd watched him and followed him in. As he drew a deep, calming, breath, however, he changed his mind. Ginny wouldn't do that.

"Hi Ginny. Luna, Hermione, Draco, make some room, won't you?" It was obvious from their dirty looks they weren't happy with this, but knew batter than to make a scene, and figured Harry must be implementing some new plan.

"Thank you, Harry. How was your day?" She leaned directly across him for some potatoes as he took a breath to speak.

Harry smiled. "Well, you know, just another day. How about you?"

"It was great. Harry, thank you so much. You really seem to be giving me a true second chance."

"No problem, Ginny." The rest of the meal was spent in near silence. Ginny didn't want to push her luck or make anyone suspicious. Luna, Hermione, and Draco didn't want to reveal what they were sure was Harry's brilliant plan. Harry was eagerly anticipating his meeting with the Weasley twins.

As soon as he was finished eating, Harry excused himself. He caught the twins' eyes at he left the Great Hall and knew they would join him shortly.

Sure enough, about five minutes after he entered the room, the twins crept in without a sound. They flicked their wands at the door, sealing it behind them to keep out all eavesdroppers.

"Top secret this is, Harry…"

"…No one else knows these even exist."

"They'll be part of our debut product line."

"Now, we've made some changes to the mirrors to make them more portable."

"This one here's a wristband…"

"…and this one is a necklace."

Harry looked at the two products, confused. "But guys," said Harry, concerned. "These are tiny. I wanted them large enough to use as full visual communication devices. When I talk to someone, I want to see more than one eye."

The twins sighed dramatically and shook their heads. "Yes, we know, Harry…"

"…And if you'd just listen…"

"…You wouldn't have to question us." Harry nodded his understanding and waved for them to continue.

"Now, with both types of communication devices…"

"…We have created built in resizing charms…"

"…You just touch the rune…" The mirror on the wristband instantly expanded to the size of the mirror Harry owned.

"…and voila! You have a full-sized communication device."

"…Touch it again, and it's back to portable size."

"Now, these are on their own network."

"We figured out some clever charms to ensure your communication is private."

"Only mirrors we put on this network can communicate with each other."

"You can still reach other mirrors…"

"…But they can't reach you."

"We've made a couple of each…"

"…So these two are yours."

"How much do you plan to sell them for?" Harry could see these flying off the shelves.

"We were thinking 15 Galleons, maybe 20 if the sell well enough."

"Ok, then, I'll give you 40 Galleons for one more of each and your word that all four will be on a private network. Can you do this before the end of term? That gives you two weeks."

"Yeah, of course, Harry."

"We can probably get them done in a couple of days…"

"…what took so long this time…"

"…was figuring out what charms to use…"

"Was there anything else, Harry?"

"Yes, actually, I have another challenge for you."

"Really…"

"…and what would that be?"

"I'd like a set of four communication journals. I can't exactly use the mirrors in class. But if I had a journal to write in, the teachers would think I was taking notes. Now, the journals would need to be able to send and receive messages both individually, so two people can communicate privately, and as a group, so a message written in one journal can be read by all of the others. Again, they would need to be on a private network. Will 100 Galleons be enough to cover your costs?"

"100 Galleons? Blimey, Harry…"

"…that's enough to make 50 or 60 of these journals."

"I'm also paying you for your time."

"Well, in that case…"

"100 sounds about right. Thanks, Harry!"

"No, thank you, Weasleys." The twins left first, whispering excitedly to each other. Harry left a few minutes later to head down to his common room. He decided he would tell his friends that the Weasley twins were telling him about new joke product ideas. They should believe that, and then he could get to bed. Tomorrow's Quidditch practice was sure to be hellish with Slytherin's first match in a week.

Harry slept well, and was therefore energized and ready for practice. What he didn't count on, however, was a six hour practice session. They had a mock game, with some extra Slytherins playing the other team in hopes of proving they were good enough to be reserve. They also had two hours of drills, which left them all exhausted and barely able to move. They all trudged in to dinner absolutely exhausted.

They spent the rest of the week having at least one hour of practice every night after dinner to prepare. They were playing Ravenclaw, so at least it would be a clean match, but that didn't mean Marcus was going easy on them. The day before the big match, Harry was tiredly walking into the entrance hall when he heard someone calling to him.

"Harry. Psst! Harry! I need to talk to you." On alert and with his wand out, Harry followed the voice. He was very surprised to see Neville standing just inside an empty classroom.

"Neville? What's going on?"

"I promised you I'd keep an eye on the Weasleys. They've set up a plan for tomorrow's game."

"What do you mean?" Harry wondered if the entire Weasley family was in on this new plan. He hoped not, he really liked the twins, and Ginny was growing on him now that she'd been making an effort to fit in.

"Percy and Ron are planning to dress in dark cloaks and masquerade as Dementors. They seem to think this will cause you problems."

"Thanks for the warning, Neville. I'll take care of if. You'd better head back to your common room before curfew."

"Thanks, Harry. Good luck tomorrow." Harry nodded his thanks, and carefully made his way back to his own common room. His mind was racing a mile a minute. The two hated Weasleys were trying to sabotage the game, huh? He knew he could scare the devil out of them with his Patronus. It had taken the shape of a dragon, just like his Parseltongue protector. Lupin had seemed incredibly surprised, as apparently very few wizards had Patroni that were magical animals. Harry had declared their lessons over shortly after that, thanking the professor for his help. He had been curious if Lupin would devise some other reason to offer him lessons, but as of yet, none had been forthcoming.

He carefully assessed his plan. He was sure sending a dragon at the two Weasley idiots would scare them half to death. With a wandless Parseltongue stunner hidden right behind it, they wouldn't be going anywhere, and everyone would assume they had fainted. Harry grinned evilly. The match was going to be awesome.

The Quidditch match started our as any other. The teams were introduced, the balls were released, and the game started. Harry spotted the two cloaked figures hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect time to appear. He grinned, they had no idea what was coming.

He flew well above the pitch, keeping an eye on the action while looking for the Snitch. It was an hour into the game, and Slytherin was 50 points up, but the Snitch hadn't shown itself once. A glint of gold caught his eye and he dived. Speak of the devil… As he dived, he noticed the two cloaked figures make their way out onto the pitch. Harry summoned his happy thoughts and cast his Patronus, immediately followed by his wide-area Parseltongue stunner. He didn't bother to watch the idiots' reactions, as he knew Luna, Hermione, and Draco would be willing to share later.

Seconds later, he caught the Snitch, with the Ravenclaw Seeker trailing behind him. The blast from Madam Hooch's whistle signaled the end of the game. Slytherin had won 480 to 280. It had been a good game. Harry caught sight of Professor McGonagall making her way onto the pitch and flew down to catch the action. They arrived at the two immobile bodies at the same time.

"That was an excellent Patronus, Mr. Potter, but it appears you scared whoever is under these cloaks so badly that they fainted."

"I'm sorry, Professor, I thought they were Dementors."

"Not a problem, Mr. Potter. It is an easy mistake to make from that height. Now, let's just see who tried such a terrible prank, shall we?" She rolled over the students and her face changed to one of utmost fury.

"Enervate! How dare you! An unworthy trick!" She was shouting. "I've never been so ashamed of Gryffindors! A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the game! That will be one month detention for each of you!"

"But professor…" started Ronald.

"No buts. You will also lose 100 points each!"

"Professor, I'm Head Boy, you can't…"

"_Were_ head boy, Mr. Weasley. I can't _believe_ that as head boy you would try such a dastardly trick. _Never_ in _all_ my years, has a Head Boy behaved like this!" She held out her hand. "Your _badge_ Mr. Weasley."

With what looked like great pain, Percy Weasley unpinned his badge from his robes and handed it to Professor McGonagall. He threw Harry a dirty look, as though to blame the entire mess on him. Ignoring him, Harry watched Professor McGonagall hurry off to meet with the other heads of houses and the Headmaster. No doubt in attempt to name a new Head Boy.

The party in Slytherin that night was beyond compare. It was as though they had won the house cup. Gryffindor was last in the competition for the house cup by nearly 200 points, and the Gryffindor Head Boy had been disgraced. It was definitely a joyous day.

A very quite "ahem" saw the common room instantly fall silent. Standing at the entrance stood none other than Professor Snape. They were suddenly all sure that they were in deep trouble for their noise.

"A fine match, Slytherin. And Mr. Potter, take twenty points for that astounding Patronus." The room cheered. "Yes, yes, quiet down!" Instant silence. "As I'm sure you all know, Mr. Percy Weasley is no longer Head Boy. The heads of houses held a quick conference, and the new Head Boy has been determined. Mr. Flint, collect your belongings, as you will be moving into the Heads' suite."

As Marcus walked forward to collect the badge, the common room once again exploded into noise. The Head Boy was now a Slytherin! Harry just barely heard Professor Snape tell Marcus he would wait for him in his office.

Everyone wanted to congratulate the new Head Boy, and, as such, it took him nearly twenty minutes to get to his room to collect his belongings. He was escorted to the door like a conquering hero. He was Quidditch captain and now Head Boy. As he left, the was another swell of noise wishing him well in his new rooms, although they knew he'd be visiting the common room quite often. Despite Marcus' absence, the part continued through the night, stopping only when the students went to dinner. It was a good thing the next day was Sunday, as most Slytherins didn't make it out of bed until noon.


	17. Quibbler Underage Muggleborn Law

**Well, I know it's been absolutely forever, but in between work, trying to have a bit of a social life, writing a novel, and completely redesigning my husband's website, I've not had much time, or inspiration to write much. I won't say I'm back, because I have no idea when I'll have the time to write another chapter. It could be up tomorrow, it could be up in 6 months. I'm sorry, but I want to be honest. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.** **Thanks to Ravenclaw Midnight Blue for inspiring me to write.**

* * *

**Quibbler Article: The Underage Muggleborn Law**

In the aftermath of the trick played by the elder and younger male Weasleys, Harry noticed that all of the Weasleys were completely shunned. He did his best to champion Ginny and the twins, pointing out that Ginny, as a Slytherin, would never try to sabotage them, and that the twins were just all-around good guys. It worked to some degree, but not as well as he'd hoped.

The following weekend just happened to be a Hogmeade weekend, and Harry elected to stay behind with Luna to help her with the next Quibbler article while Draco and Mia went on a date.

Their hard work paid off when everyone was seen to be discussing the Quibbler and, more specifically, their article, a week later when it was published.

* * *

**The Underage Muggleborn Law**

**By Luna Lovegood**

Despite your personal attitude toward wizards and witches of non-magical parentage, dear reader, I am certain you can agree with me on one definite fact: many laws currently in Wizarding Britain's lawbooks are prejudiced, whether overtly or covertly, towards non-magicals and witches and wizards of non-magical parentage.

The overt prejudices do not, for obvious reasons, need to be scrutinized, they merely require change. However, the covert prejudices need to be brought to light so Wizarding Britain may better understand, and seek to change, what it is doing to those of non-magical parentage.

One of these covert prejudices is the Underage Magic Law. We all know this law. We are told once we enter Hogwarts that we cannot perform magic outside of the boundaries of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and the Hogwarts express. Doing so constitutes an infraction of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and can result in warnings and/or expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The only exception to this rule is self-defense.

Those born to magical parents are most likely familiar with the Trace. This is a magical spell placed upon children when they are sorted into their Hogwarts house, which breaks upon their 17th birthday. It is said to monitor whether a witch or wizard under the age of 17 performs magic when outside of school.

However, there is a fatal flaw with what we are told. Children of magical parentage are well known to perform magic outside of school, most often at the encouragement of their parents to ensure they do not forget what they learned in school. The truth about the Trace is that it can only detect that magic is performed, not who is performing it. Therefore, when magic is performed by an underage witch or wizard living with magical adults, it is assumed that the magic has been performed by the adult. However, when magic is performed by and underage witch or wizard living with non-magical adults, that student is issued an official warning.

Now, laid out in such a fashion, it becomes obvious that the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery really only applies to those of non-magical parentage. I, personally, can think of no fair reason to deprive such students of the chance to practice magic during the holidays, especially as this essentially means that their parents are unable to see exactly what they are paying for their children to learn. Were I a non-magical parent, I would question the intelligence of paying for an education I cannot see the benefits of.

I propose a change to this preposterous law. A dear friend of mine recently traveled to France and was kind enough to provide me with the pamphlet she received upon arrival (see page 12). Despite being a proud British subject, I must say French laws in this matter are far more reasonable and generally just better. As an underage witch or wizard in France, the rules against magic use are no different than the rules which govern adults.

Witches and wizards are cautioned to use their best judgment when using magic. Overt magic usage in the presence of a non-magical person is punishable by fines or even jail time. However, subtle magic, whether in all-magical areas or non-magical areas, is accepted and even encouraged, as it is believed to help keep magical abilities strong (in adults) and hone magical abilities (in children). In fact, children often receive their first wands as young as four in an effort to help minimize accidental magic outbursts.

I believe that we, the British Wizarding population, should come together as whole and demand a reform to our obviously ludicrous laws. Underage witches and wizards have every right to perform magic as much as possible while it still holds the special aura of newness. Witches and wizards of non-magical parentage have, perhaps, even more right to this, as they have not only their own awe and wonder to satisfy and indulge, but that of their parents as well.

Take a stand, fellow witches and wizards, and owl the Ministry. For a listing of various Ministry officials and their owl addresses, see page 22.


	18. Holidays

**Note: Please see the author's note at the end**

* * *

**Chapter 18 - Holidays**

"Pleasant day, Goblin. I hope your day has been profitable and your gold will always flow."

The Goblin stared down at Harry for a moment in shock before collecting himself and responding in kind. "Pleasant day, Wizard. May your magic flow true. How may I assist you?"

"I have an appointment with Goblin Ragnock regarding the Potter accounts."

"Of course, follow me." Harry and Tom followed the Goblin teller to the now familiar office belonging to Ragnock. They knew this meeting would be lengthy, so had scheduled an appointment with the account manager.

It had been decided when Harry and Draco got home for the holidays that they would go to Gringotts at Ragnock's earliest availability. So here they were, two days later, ready for an extremely important meeting.

Ragnock stood from his desk as they entered and greeted them formally. Harry and Tom responded in kind, knowing from the etiquette books that starting a meeting in such a way was a sign of respect. Both parties, however, quickly reverted to the more casual bearings they typically utilized to conduct business.

"Harry, Tom, your missive indicated you had much to discuss today. How may I be of assistance?"

Tom nodded to Harry. He wanted his son to become more comfortable with handling these types of affairs. He was, after all, Lord Potter now, and needed to learn the ins and outs of holding such a title.

Harry cleared his throat to help calm his nerves and began. "Let me begin with the most trivial matter. I will need to access Potter Place within the month. Do you know if it is livable?"

"That property houses two house elves. I am certain they have kept it in pristine condition. I will provide you with the location details..." He wrote a note on a form that vanished. "You will be granted admission and the loyalty of the house elves by virtue of your lordship ring. Anyone you personally admit will have lifelong access unless you bar them from entering. Once you have granted access, that person may, in turn, grant others one-time access. Anyone who does not have access to Potter Place will find the door permanently locked to them."

"Excellent, that is very good news. Now, onto the next order of business. I wish to have a new lordship ring commissioned. I wish it to contain not only the Potter crest, but the Riddle crest as well. I know Goblins are by far the best goldsmiths, therefore, I hope you can recommend someone for me to speak with."

Harry saw Ragnock swallow hard as an odd expression came over his face. "I hope you do not find me nepotic, but my nest-mate is a rather well-known and respected goldsmith. I am certain that you will find him suitable."

"Very well, and how may I contact your nest-mate?"

"If I may, Harry, he typically only works with Goblins. Allow me to apprise him of the situation and details, and I will have him contact you within the week."

"Thank you, Ragnock. Please let him know I am more than willing to compensate him handsomely."

"Of course, Harry."

Harry was grateful the talk had turned to money, as he could now more easily breach what had the potential to be a volatile subject. Still, he wished to cover himself. Just in case.

"Ragnock, I ask my next question on the understanding from the books you sent me that it is acceptable to do so. If that is not the case, do not feel obligated to answer, and please set me straight."

Ragnock nodded hesitantly. "Very well."

"How fares your Hoard?" Ragnock's instant change in demeanor told Harry the question was not only acceptable, it was welcomed. Ragnock sat straighter, and his eyes glowed with pride.

"It has reached 4,532 Galleons, Harry." Ragnock spoke as though of an accomplished child.

"I can make an assumption that that is a sizeable Hoard for a Goblin in your position, however, can you help me put it in perspective? What size Hoard would a Gringotts manager typically have?"

"Managers often accumulate between 5,000 and 8,000 Galleons before they are promoted. As I'm sure you read, the size of your Hoard has a direct correlation to your chances of receiving a promotion and career opportunities in general. Once promoted, as Director, a Goblin may grow their Hoard to 10,000 to 20,000 Galleons before they retire or pursue a different career, such as diamond dealing."

"Is there a requirement that a Goblin leave after their Hoard becomes a certain size?"

"Not at all. However, most Goblins only reach such a position, and by extension, such a sizeable Hoard, at an advanced age, and therefore choose to retire."

Harry leaned forward. His next words could seal his influence within Gringotts for years to come or earn him a lifelong enemy.

"I would like to offer you a 15,000 Galleon bonus to accomplish several extremely sensitive, extremely important tasks for me. I can assure you that none of them are illegal." Harry would have laughed at the look on Ragnock's face if he were not so worried about his reaction. He looked to his father who had, thus far, been sitting silently.

Tom gave Harry the merest of nods of encouragement before Ragnock recovered from his shock. "15,000 Galeons, Wizard Riddle?"

"Unsure if there was a reason for the return to formality, Harry nodded. "Yes, Goblin Ragnock. But please, I see no need for such formality."

Ragnock stood, and, unsure of what else to do, Harry mirrored his actions. "I am positive you are aware of what you are offering me." Ragnock held up his hand to silence Harry. "Regardless of what tasks you require of me, you are offering me, at the very least, a position as manager, perhaps even a position as Director. I could even, potentially, make it onto the Gringotts board of governors, something which is far out of reach to me with my current standing. You realize this, do you not, Wizard Riddle."

Harry swallowed hard. This was not sounding good for him. "Yes, I do realize this Goblin Ragnock. However, as I have said before, you have served me very well, far better than I expected, and I am certain you have gone far beyond required duties as well. And the tasks I would like you to complete for me will almost certainly be time consuming and require much delicate handling. I feel you will earn every Knut of this bonus, and I hope you will remember me, and perhaps even consent to continue being my account manager, after you are promoted."

Ragnock scrutinized Harry for a moment, staring directly into his eyes. Harry did his best not to blink. Without warning, Ragnock turned and walked out of his office, and Harry was certain he would be returning with guards to eject them from the bank forever.

He was incredibly surprised, therefore, when Ragnock returned with Goblin Goobluck. "Wizard Riddle, I am certain you recall Goblin Goobluck, my superior."

"Yes, of course, pleasant day, Goblin Goobluck. I hope your day has been profitable and your gold will always flow."

"Pleasant day, Wizard Riddle. May your magic flow true. I understand you wish to award Goblin Ragnock another bonus."

"I do indeed Goblin Goobluck. His service has been exemplary. I am incredibly satisfied."

"That is good to hear, Wizard Riddle." He placed a form on the desk in front of Harry. "You recall this form, I am sure."

"Yes, thank you." Harry signed his name first, then filled in the blank line. _15,000 Galleons_.

"Fif...Fifteen Th..._Thousand_ Galleons? Are you _quite_ certain of the amount, Wizard Riddle?"

"Yes, I am. I feel Goblin Ragnock has more than earned said amount with his services."

"Very well." Goobluck picked up the form and bowed to Ragnock. Harry recognized the acknowledgment of one who has (or in this case, will soon have) a larger Hoard than your own. "Goblin Ragnock, I see your day has been profitable. May your gold always flow."

Ragnock grinned and inclined his head. "And to you as well, Goblin Goobluck." When Ragnock was positive Goobluck was out of earshot he turned to Harry with a grin. "I thank you, Harry. With any luck, I will be Goblin Goobluck's superior when you next visit. Never fear, until I find a Goblin worthy to be your account manager, I will continue my duties as such."

Harry offered his hand to Ragnock with a smile. "Thank you, Ragnock. I appreciate that." They shook hands, solidifying what Harry was sure would become a decades-long alliance. "Now, allow me to inform you of the tasks I would like accomplished."

"Yes, that would be helpful, Harry."

"I would like to gift Potter Manor to a Muggleborn friend of mine's parents at Christmas. Her name is Hermione Granger. It must be a complete surprise, however, I can give you any information you need to complete the transaction. It will be entirely their possession. I also wish to have the house elves recognize them as masters of the Manor. Furthermore, I need three reusable portkeys to the manor, two of which will need to be accessible to the Muggle adult Grangers. I would like the Floo to be completely active and usable by Mr. and Mrs. Granger. And finally, I would like the fireplace at the Granger's place of occupation to have limited access to the Floo, simply to allow them to Floo from Potter Manor to work and back every day. No further access is required. Please owl me the final proofs of ownership, the portkeys, and whatever is necessary for the Grangers to utilize the Floo at their place of business no later than the 22nd. I need to be able to deliver them to the Granger family on the 23rd."

Ragnock grinned. "I can see why you said your requests would be time consuming."

"That is not all, Ragnock. I also want to have all of the Potter Holdings moved to a new Riddle vault before the end of the school year. I think having a new vault will be easiest, as I can restrict access more completely that way."

"I have already been looking into the best way to consolidate the Potter wealth, so that should not be too difficult. The time frame is acceptable. Is there anything else?"

"No, Ragnock, I believe that is finally all. It was, as ever, a pleasure doing business with you."

"Thank you, Harry. This has proven to be the most interesting day of my employment at Gringotts, and somehow, I have a feeling there shall be more interesting days to come in the future." He lifted a sheet of paper from his desk. "Here are the location details to Potter Place. Be sure to wear your lordship ring when you visit the first time, or you will not be able to enter."

"Thank you again, Ragnock. Our business has proved profitable. May the Great Overlord bless your Hoard."

Ragnock could not contain his large smile as he bowed. "Harry, our business has proven more profitable than I could dream. May Merlin ever keep your magic flowing strong."

Once they were outside, and after a quick look to ensure no one was listening, Tom congratulated Harry on how he handled the meeting. "I think it is time that we have your Uncle tutor you on the idiosyncrasies of being a Lord. You are definitely ready."

"Thank you, father. We had best return home before mother begins to worry."

***SoaS***

Harry greatly enjoyed the party season. They were always glamorous nearly to the point of ostentatious, and he found them delightful. They were made even more special by the fact that Hermione and her parents were at every single one. They had, most certainly, been welcomed into the Pureblood circle with open arms.

Harry made sure to exchange gifts with his friends and housemates during the parties, leaving only his gifts to Luna and Hermione to send by Dobby. He wanted those to be special, to be under the Christmas tree when they woke up on Christmas Day.

At the Malfoy Christmas party on December 23rd, Harry asked to speak to all three Grangers in private. When they agreed, he led them to the sitting room as it was closest.

"Please, have a seat." Harry gestured the Grangers to the sofa, taking one of the facing armchairs for himself. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger, as I'm sure you've noticed, you've been fully accepted into the Pureblood community. However, as you may or may not know, it is expected that you return the honor of an invitation with one of your own." He noticed the look of concern on the Grangers' faces and hoped that his gift would set them at ease. "I would like to make a gift to your family that would enable you to do this with ease. I understand that the gift will seem extravagant, however, as Hermione knows, and can explain to you in more detail, the Potters were ridiculously wealthy, and I can assure you that the gift I will be presenting you cost me very little in terms of my total wealth. Hermione has done so much for me, and has been such a wonderful friend, I hope you can accept my gift for what it is, a kind gesture from one friend to another, no strings attached."

Mr. Granger interrupted Harry before he could actually present the gift. "I must say, young man, your little speech has me rather worried."

"Nothing to worry about, Mr. Granger, I merely wished to give my gift some context. Dobby?"

Dobby popped into the sitting room and bowed. "How may I help you, Master Harry?"

"Please bring my gift for the Grangers."

"Of course, Master Harry." He popped away and returned a moment later with an envelope and a large wrapped gift.

"Thank you, Dobby, I appreciate it." Dobby grinned before popping back out.

Harry presented both the envelope and the box to the Grangers, saying as he did so, "I would suggest opening the box first, however, I leave it up to you."

The Grangers took Harry's advice, allowing Hermione to actually unwrap the box. She stared, perplexed, at the contents however. Within the box were a set of keys and three necklaces. "Harry, I don't quite understand."

"I suggest you open the envelope now, then I will answer any questions you may have."

"Alright, Harry."

Mrs. Granger opened the envelope and pulled out the sheaf of paper contained therein. After reading the top sheet, both her and her husband stared at Harry in disbelief. Hermione, ever curious, leaned over to read the paper as well, then turned to her friend.

"Harry, is this REALLY the deed to Potter Manor?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, it is. I'm giving it to your parents. It is now Granger Manor, unless, of course, you would like to name it something else. You can visit Gringotts if you'd like to change the name."

The Grangers had finally recovered their senses after their shock. "Harry, we can't possibly accept this. We can't take your house!"

"It's not my house, Mr. Granger. Malfoy Manor is my house, my home. And besides, the Potters owned, I own, another seven properties. Now, I've been receiving some tutoring regarding my place as Lord Potter, and I hope you'll allow me to assuage some potential fears. Granger Manor has been placed entirely in your names, you are co-owners. There are no taxes, as the Manor predates the start of taxation, and the Manor is entirely furnished.

"There are currently 6 house elves residing at Granger Manor that will care for the Manor and the grounds. I suppose you can think of them as servants. They have been told of the change in ownership and will respond to your call in the same way Dobby responds to mine. Their names and hierarchy are within the forms you hold, Mrs. Granger. The entire Manor is protected by countless wards, and is untraceable, which means Hermione will be able to use magic there.

"I have had the Goblins of Gringotts connect the fireplace at your office to the Floo at Granger Manor. As long as you are wearing those necklaces, you will be able to use the Floo to visit any other household connected to the Floo, as well as your office. I am sure Hermione can explain the benefits of that to you. From your office, you can only Floo to Granger Manor. I thought that if you decide to live at Granger Manor, you would need an easy way to get to work.

"Those necklaces also serve as portkeys. That means that from anywhere in the world, you can return to Granger Manor. You need only hold the pendant and speak the words "Granger Manor" and you will be transported to the entrance hall. I think that's everything of major importance regarding the manor. I can go with you all tomorrow to visit the manor and show you around, if you'd like."

The Grangers sat in stunned silence for a moment, contemplating everything Harry had told them. Hermione was the first to speak.

"So Harry, I can Floo here from Granger Manor to visit you and Draco? And I can Floo to Diagon Alley to purchase school supplies?"

"You could even Floo to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer whenever you like."

Hermione launched herself at Harry and gave him a huge hug. "Oh thank you! Thank you, Harry, this is an excellent gift! And I'll be able to practice magic! And I remember that book you have saying there's even a potions laboratory and library!"

Harry laughed at Hermione's enthusiasm. "Yes, you remember correctly. And I've made sure the potions laboratory is fully stocked. There is also a wonderful conservatory, and the gardens are beautiful."

"Well, Harry, it seems we owe you a major thank you. Far more than I think we can ever express. I don't think tomorrow will work for us, however, I would greatly appreciate a tour on Boxing Day, if you're available."

"Of course, Mr. Granger. I'll be more than happy to introduce you to Granger Manor on Boxing Day. Do you have a time in mind?"

"I think one will work for us. Will that work for you?"

"I don't see why not. I'll have Dobby bring me to your house, and we can use the portkeys to get to Granger Manor. Now, I've kept you from the party long enough. Although I would like to speak with Hermione for just a moment more."

"Thank you again, Harry. We'll see you on Boxing Day."

As the elder Grangers left to make their way back to the party, Harry turned to Hermione. "Mia, I think the best day to test the Muggles is on the 28th, so I've got an advertisement in every major London paper on Boxing Day through the 28th. I visited Potter Place, and it looks great. It should be perfect for testing."

"Harry, one thing to consider is that we are testing Muggles. We'll need blood for this, and I don't think they'll be satisfied with pricking their fingers. We'll need to have their blood drawn the Muggle way."

Harry considered this for a moment. "What would you suggest?"

"I suppose we could ask my parents."

Harry nodded. "I'll make sure to do that when I see them again. For now, I think we'd best get back before Draco comes searching for you."

***SoaS***

On Christmas morning, Dobby woke Harry around 4am. Harry had purposely asked to be woken so early, as he wanted Dobby to take his presents for Hermione and Luna to them. Harry quickly grabbed the two gifts and handed them to Dobby.

"Dobby, please sneak these under their Christmas trees without anyone seeing you. This one is for Hermione, and these two are for Luna."

"I will take them now, Master Harry."

"Thank you, Dobby. I really appreciate it."

As he waited for his family to wake up, Harry imagined his friends' reactions to their gifts. He had given Hermione one of the communication necklaces the Weasley twins had finished at the end of term. He knew she would appreciate being able to speak to Draco face to face more often.

His gift to Luna had been even more special. The Weasley twins had amazed him by sending two completed communication journals to him a few nights ago. Their letter said that after the mirrors, the journals hadn't been too hard. They were currently working on creating an expanded network with different privacy settings for the messages as he had requested, but they had perfected a one-to-one messaging journal, which was what the set they had sent him was. He knew instantly he wanted to give one to Luna.

The journal had been an addition to his gift of another charm for her bracelet. He'd had a custom charm made: a miniature Quibbler magazine. It was the issue that featured Luna's article on the underage magic law. He hoped she liked it as much as the charm he had given her for her birthday. Then he had had a miniature version of her wand made. The mini wand would not, of course, be able to perform magic, but she had greatly enjoyed it nonetheless.

Harry decided to go back to sleep, knowing that Draco would wake him up again soon. Sure enough, just two hours later, his bedroom door slammed open and Draco was shaking him awake.

"Harry! It's Christmas! Come on, Harry. Wake up! We have presents to open!"

"I'm up, I'm up," mumbled Harry.

"I'll go wake up Mum and Dad, and Aunt Bella, and Uncle Tom." Harry sat up as Draco ran from the room. He was very fond of his cousin, but every once in a while he would dearly love to throttle him.

By the time Harry was dressed and downstairs, breakfast had been served in the parlor. He figured Draco must have ordered it, as a few minutes later, his parents and aunt and uncle walked in, still looking rather sleepy.

"Good morning Mother, Father, Aunt Cissy, Uncle Luc. Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas, Harry. Did you sleep well?"

"I did, thank you, Mother. And you?"

"Well enough, until Draco woke us."

"Perhaps next year we can tie him to his bed."

"Come now, Harry, that's not nice. You know you want to open your presents as much as I do. Look, here's one from Luna!" This got Harry to perk right up, and he and Draco turned pleading looks on their respective parents.

"Very well," said a laughing Tom, "Grab some breakfast, and we'll start opening gifts." This they did, with Harry and Draco taking turns handing everyone their gifts.

Draco enjoyed his communication mirror, even more so once he learned Hermione had one as well. Aunt Cissy greatly enjoyed her new hair ornament, and Uncle Luc seemed quite satisfied with his house crest tie pin.

Harry was most moved by his parents' reactions. He had spent many hours sorting through his childhood memories for anything that was pleasant. He'd managed to find a fair few: being congratulated at school for having the best grade on a test, finding a ten pound note on the floor of a store and buying himself his first ever toy, having a proper meal at Mrs. Figg's house.

His mother and father thanked him profusely, tears glistening in their eyes, and he knew the time spent dealing with the negative memories was well worth it.

Harry was rather pleased with his gifts as well. He received a new wand holster, plenty of clothes, a smattering of books, quite a bit of candy, and the second edition model dragon set that had four more dragons to complement those he had purchased on his birthday.

He left Luna's gift until last, wondering what could possibly be in the rather large package. He was rather surprised to find an elaborately decorated, leather bound book. There were gold corners, and a gold crest in the center. Harry assumed this was the Lovegood crest.

As he opened the front cover, he was met with a beautifully illustrated cover page declaring this book _The Compiled Book of Discovered Creatures_. As Harry thumbed through the first few pages, he found that it was a book of mythological creatures that Luna had been researching with her father. The entire thing was handwritten, making it absolutely precious in Harry's eyes.

Each creature contained a drawing followed by a name, then a description, then whatever facts were known about it. Harry stopped mid-way through the book to read an entry about Nargles, strange little creatures that liked mistletoe.

"Harry, dearest, you still have a few presents to open."

"Oh, of course mother, my apologies." Harry set aside the book, knowing he would be spending countless hours pouring over it. He realized there were still two gifts beneath the tree, both of which were for him.

Opening the first, he found a new cloak from his parents. It was a deep Slytherin green with a black clasp. He could tell just by the feel of it that it had built-in heating charms.

"Thank you, mother, father."

"Of course, son. We can't have you getting cold, now can we?"

Grinning, Harry picked up the last package. As he realized the shape and size of it, his heart sped up. He tried to tell himself it could be anything, because he didn't want to get his hopes up. Giving up on that, he ripped the paper off and opened the leather case.

Inside sat a Firebolt. Its handle glittered as he picked it up. He could feel it vibrating and let go; it hung in midair, unsupported, at exactly the right height for him to mount it. His eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle, right down to the perfectly smooth, streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail.

For a moment, all he could do was stare at it, then he let out a whoop of delight and ran to his parents.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" After a couple of seconds, he realized his parents weren't smiling. They also weren't returning his hug. Their eyes were solidly fixed on the broom still suspended in midair.

Misinterpreting their silence, Harry grinned sheepishly. "Oh, sorry. Let me put it back away."

"No, son, don't touch it. Who sent it to you?"

"Didn't you give it to me, Mother?"

"No, son. Lucius, if you would?"

"Of course, Bella."

"Harry, darling. Please don't be upset, but I worry that broom may have been sent to you by Sirius Black. We will check it for curses and jinxes before you may ride it."

"But, how could he possibly send it? He's a wanted fugitive. He couldn't just walk into a store and buy it." He knew he sounded whiny and angry, but he couldn't help it. He wanted his Firebolt.

"Harry!" His father's sharp shout gained his attention. "You, above everyone, should know how simple it is to look like someone else. How easy it is to fool people."

Harry looked down, admonished. "Yes, Father, you're right. I'm sorry. I can wait."

"Very well. This hasn't been the best end to a Christmas morning, but let us have lunch, and see if we can't make the day better."

* * *

**So, I realize it has been nearly a year since I updated this story. A lot has happened. And a lot is still to happen. If you're interested in the story, check out my profile. As a short note, I'm going to work on keeping up my personal fan fiction website (rachelsstories (insert . here) weebly**** (insert . here) **com) better. I'll be offering my completed stories as eBooks for those who want to read them on the go. I've also recently published the first in my series of books. If you want to know more, visit the website exaltedbloodlines** (insert . here) **com. 

**No matter what happens, I won't be abandoning this series. But life happens, and that means I don't always know when I'll be writing fan fiction. I'll try to get back into the groove of writing fan fiction, but when the mood strikes, I write, and when it doesn't, I don't, because the writing will suck. It's as simple as that. I do my best to respond to PMs and reviews that ask questions, so if you have any, feel free to contact me.**


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